In the Shadows
by Jenny1751
Summary: Giotto and his guardians have always been perfect, everyone looked at them and saw perfection. So it was no wonder that the younger brother and his guardians were never noticed. It's also no wonder that after all this time... they couldn't help but snap.
1. Being the Big Brother

**Here I am with another story! :D Just when I finished my last one :3 Let's hope this doesn't drag on for too long or I may lose my inspiration :P**

 **Pretty long, but I wanted to get all the basics out of the way. This is a prologue, so pay not so much heed to it. I just did this as an intro, so you guys know what's up. I'll make a brief summary of everything down bellow ^_^**

 **Hope you enjoy it ~ !**

* * *

"Welcome back, Master." a long line of servants on both sides of the gates to their estate were there to greet him and his companions upon their arrival but he paid them no heed, long since having gotten used to such things. Giotto continued on, entering the mansion while listening carefully to his best friend slash right-hand man who was giving a report on the events that occurred while he was away. From the sound of it, nothing worthy of attention so he should have plenty of free time to relax.

Giotto di Vongola (born as Sawada Ieyasu), 22 years old, was the oldest son of Sawada Iemitsu, the head of CEDEF, and his wife, Nana. He was one of the chosen candidates to become the heir of Vongola, an infamous mafia famiglia known to be the most powerful and influential family in the world. Because of this, from a young age he was taken from his homeland, Japan, to train both mentally and physically in Italy where Vongola was based.

His life in Italy was the only thing he's ever known, they took him here when he was still 5 years old and he didn't remember much before that happened. Although he would occasionally go to Japan to visit his brother and check on their base there, those times were extremely rare and far in between, not to mention brief. So needless to say, he has more than enough skills and experience to be able to lead Vongola and let it prosper. Ever since he was sixteen, Timoteo, the current boss, started bringing him along in meetings, formal parties and even small get-togethers with their allies. It goes without saying that Giotto was his first choice to inherit his title.

Giotto knew that people held expectations for him, and he did his best to meet those, although he was much too kindhearted to be a mafia boss, Timoteo wouldn't have him any other way. He was just the perfect candidate; smart, talented, cunning, strong, and kind yet strict. He had not only met everyone's expectations, but exceeded them. A lot of people looked up to him and loved him, and Timoteo believed that he had the ability to change Vongola for the better.

It also helped that it only took him a short while to gather his guardians, most of them he had known since he was a child, he attracted people like moth to a flame. He has such endearing traits that made people want to swear their loyalty to him. And of course, his guardians were all strong and skilled and would die for Giotto, not that he would allow that, of course.

"Man, I'm beat." Lampo sighed.

"Nufufu, how strange considering you didn't do anything."

"Daemon! Don't pick a fight when we just got back!" G snapped at him.

"Aren't you the one who sounds like he's picking a fight, G-san?" Asari laughed good-naturedly.

"What?!"

"You're all being too loud." Alaude frowned in annoyance.

"We should all just be thankful that the meeting was a success!" Knuckle said.

"Why wouldn't it be? Especially with all of us present." Lampo sighed.

"Now now, we're all tired so there's no need to start a fight." Giotto sighed. "Let's just hurry to our rooms and rest."

"I'm afraid that's going to have to wait, Giotto."

Said blond looked up and his face broke into a smile. "Grandfather! Is everything alright?"

"Yes yes. of course. I just need to talk to you and your guardians."

They exchanged looks before Giotto nodded and they followed the elderly man to his office. Once there, they were greeted by a dark-haired woman wearing a white one piece and a rather large headwear. Almost every one of them broke into smiles.

"Luce-san!"

She giggled. "How have you boys been? It's been a while... You've all grown so much!"

Luce had been their mentor since they were kids, teaching them the ropes and giving them advice on how to fight and defend themselves. She was the boss of the Giglio Nero famiglia but since they were allies of Vongola, she was more than happy to help them out. Not to mention the fact that she just loves kids. Giotto and his friends look up to her, she was the reason they got to where they were now.

"It's nice of you to visit, Luce-san." Giotto said. "I hope you've been well."

"Well..." her smile faltered a bit, and they all immediately knew that something was wrong as the atmosphere turned serious.

"What is it?"

"It's nothing. I just... I have a favor to ask you." Luce said.

* * *

The Arcobaleno was a small group known to be the World's Strongest "Selective Seven" of an era, they were known as the best of the best. They were a group famous since even before the time of Vongola's first boss. Nobody knew how they were chosen, where they came from or even who their leader was and why they decided to group together. They were just an existence that was generally accepted, not to mention feared for their title.

What a lot of people didn't know was that with the title came a curse. The people chosen to become Arcobaleno were chosen by a mysterious man they simply refer to as Checkerface. Once they fully inherit the title and receive a pacifier (Primo knows _why_ it had to be a pacifier out of all things) that corresponds with their flame, they will be cursed with bodies that cannot age or die due to old age. People would think that this was a good thing, but in exchange for that were restrictions to using our flames, so we are no longer able to use them at full capacity, as well as a shortened lifespan. The pacifiers are attached to their bodies and cannot be removed, it slowly drains their energy until there's nothing left to take and the person bearing the pacifier would die. When that happens, a new group of people will be selected to inherit the pacifier and the cycle continues on.

It was no secret that Luce was one of the Arcobaleno, so it came as a shock to them to find out that it was only a matter of time before her death just because she was chosen to carry a burden that no one was even aware of.

"Then-!"

"Giotto, I know you all must be upset but please allow me to finish." Luce smiled sadly. "Most of us Arcobaleno have already accepted our fate, to be honest. After all, despite our resources and skills, we had no way of locating Checkerface no matter how hard we tried, and believe me, we did. None of us wanted to die, obviously. Plus, the restriction on our flames were very troublesome when doing missions. So we continued on with our lives, until a few days ago, that is."

"We all thought it was just an ordinary dream, at first. But when we contacted each other afterwards, we found out we had the same one and were all convinced it was the work of Checkerface. In our dream, it started off as a memory at first, it was when we all first met. And then he arrived and asked us... if we wanted the curse removed. Of course, we all wanted that. So he struck a deal with us."

"... What kind of deal?" Giotto asked, having a bad feeling.

"Checkerface claims that he does indeed have the ability to lift the curse, but he can only lift it on one person. So... he asked us to participate in a battle. Whoever wins will return to their ordinary lives. The life force that the pacifier drained from our bodies will be returned and that person would live a full life, continuing on from before the curse was placed on our bodies."

"Eh? But isn't that a little unfair?" Asari asked. "The Arcobaleno aren't measured in strength alone, they're chosen because they're the best in their field, aren't they?"

"That is correct, it would indeed be unfair for someone like Verde who specializes in science as well as Skull who may be strong but stand no chance against his 'senpais'. So in order to maintain fairness, he said that it would be a 'Representative Battle'. Basically, all of us will choose a maximum of 7 representatives who will fight in our stead and whoever's the last remaining team standing wins."

"So, basically, the reason you are here is..." Alaude's eyes narrowed.

"Yes. I would like to ask a favor from all of you." she sighed before saying, with a voice filled with determination. "Please fight for me. I know I may be being selfish by asking you this, but... if I don't do this then I would have to leave my daughters alone. I know for a fact that the pacifier has already drained a significant amount of our life force, it's already been over a decade, after all. So none of us have much time yet. I don't think Aria is ready to inherit the Giglio Nero just yet, and Yuni is still so young! ... I don't want to leave them so soon... So..."

Giotto chuckled, surprising Luce a bit. That was not an expected reaction.

"What are you being so hesitant for?" he smiled kindly, the same smile that made even heartless mafioso declare their loyalty for him. It was warm and forgiving and it made you feel like you belonged. "We're not going to let you die, Luce. Rest assured, you can leave everything to us."

And with the smiles her students gave her, Luce couldn't help but feel relieved. If it was them, she knew they would be able to manage.

* * *

"The Representative Battle will be held in Namimori, Japan." Alaude informed them.

"Eh? Why there?" Giotto asked, blinking in confusion. "Isn't it a relatively peaceful town?"

"That's right, my little brother keeps the peace there so rest assured, there would be no hindrances there that may get in the way." the blond explained.

"Oh, that's right. That's your hometown, isn't it, Alaude?" Knuckle asked. "Perhaps it's God's way of telling you that you need to go back to your roots?"

"It's Giotto and Asari's hometown, as well." Alaude said, ignoring the last part.

"Isn't it a bit suspicious that it's being held there, out of all places?" G asked.

"Definitely, but I'm not really complaining." Giotto shrugged. "It's been a while since I've been there, my little brother might be getting lonely too, so I guess I'll pay him a visit."

"Hm? Your brother's in Namimori?" Lampo frowned, clearly confused. "But don't your parents live here in Italy? What's he doing in Japan all by himself?"

"Well, 2 years ago Dad had the idea that since he and I are here in Italy, it would be best if the whole family were to move here altogether. He probably felt guilty, leaving my mom all alone in Japan. She was more than happy to oblige, of course. But my little brother begged them to let him stay at least until he graduates middle school. Probably didn't want to leave his friends behind, but I'm pretty sure he graduated sometime around last year or maybe a couple months back. Mom and Dad probably forgot about it so they're not pressuring him, he doesn't seem to look forward to moving to Italy though."

"What's he like, exactly?" the youngest of the group couldn't help but voice his curiosity.

"Hmm... Well, I don't really see him that often. But from what I can tell, I guess we kinda look alike? He also has trouble with school and making friends, so I guess that helped in making our parents agree to let him stay in Japan."

Asari sighed. "It's a shame. Alaude-san, you don't know much about your brother either, correct?"

"Kyouya is a loner, like myself. It's no surprise that he doesn't like sharing." was his reply.

"That is no reason for you not to try to get to know him. Family is everything!" Knuckle said.

"I... guess he has a point. I mean, don't you get any news from your parents?" G asked.

"My father is a high ranking officer in the Japanese military while my mother is always travelling all over the world doing jobs as an assassin, they know as much about the brat as I do, if not less."

"Wow, harsh." Lampo whistled. "What about you, Asari?"

"My mother died giving birth to my little brother, so he's being raised by my father in Namimori." Asari explained. "But I don't really get to ask much about him. Whenever I talk to my father, it's always about business. Being a retired assassin and all, he takes the job of maintaining the balance and peace in their community, I try to help as much as I can."

"Well, being the candidates to inherit a really powerful mafia organization can really take up a lot of your time, I guess." Giotto sighed, a frown marring his features. "I would have liked to spend some time with my brother and just be a regular family."

"As the eldest, you have the responsibility of looking after your sibling, after all. You know, seeing them safe and happy is enough to bring you great joy!" Knuckle grinned.

Lampo hummed. "Well, I guess being a big brother is a total pain too. You should also consider yourself lucky that you have an excuse not to deal with that stuff."

"Do you have any siblings, Lampo?" Asari inquired.

"Nah, but I have this cousin. Still really young, practically a baby. He cries a lot and it gets really annoying, I wouldn't have wanted to deal with something like that."

"Well... Now that you mention it, I heard from Mom that my brother cried often." Giotto muttered.

"Nufufu, looks like your brother's nothing like you, Giotto." Daemon chuckled. "How ironic."

"Daemon also has a sibling, correct?" Knuckle said.

"Yes, my brother." Daemon nodded, not mentioning his other sibling and they respected that. It was no secret about what happened to his sister, she died in a car accidennt. Daemon had been really affected by this, considering the fact that he had only found out weeks after it happened and he didn't even get the chance to go to her funeral. It took months before Daemon returned to normalcy, but even then they could still tell he was depressed by the subject.

"Are you close with him?"

"Heavens, no! My little brother is much too... rowdy, so are his little group of mischief. He just does as he likes, traveling around the world, causing trouble." he sighed in exasperation.

"I'm pretty sure Knuckle is the only one here who's maintained a good relationship with his sibling." G grumbled.

"Yeah, don't you live with your sister? I hear the two of you are really close." Giotto asked.

"Yes! Kyoko is very kind and very talented! She moved here a couple years ago since it wasn't safe to stay in Japan anymore."

"From where in Japan did you come from again?"

"Osaka." Knuckle replied before thinking a bit. "Hey, have I ever told you guys about my EXTREME little brother?"

"Eh? You have one too?" Lampo sighed in exasperation.

"That's right! He's an EXTREME boxer! He didn't want to come to Italy for some reason, so he travels all over Japan and challenges worthy opponents to get stronger!" he grinned. "He's always really busy though, so I rarely get to talk to him. But he always makes sure to call Kyoko so she doesn't worry."

"Well... I mean, you're not close but it's better than nothing." Lampo shrugged.

Silence, as they all stared at G.

"You guys expect me to tell you about my homicidal romantic of a sister and my rebellious brother?"

"Yep." Lampo nodded.

"Pretty much." Asari grinned.

" _Why_?"

"Well, I mean, we've already told ours. Lampo even said something about his cousin."

"Nobody _asked_ you guys to!"

"So?"

G groaned but gave in. "What do you want to know?"

"Well, there's not much to say about your sister since we already know _a lot_ about her." Lampo muttered.

"Is it true that she poisoned her ex-boyfriend?" Daemon asked, genuinely curious.

"... Yeah."

"Tell her to confess, I'm free any time." Knuckle said.

"I'll... pass her the message."

"Well? What about your brother?"

"Ran away when he was 8, never saw him again." G shrugged. "We're still looking for him, but it's been a long time since we last heard of him. He made a name for himself- Hurricane Bomb Hayato, and we were a little worried for him at first. But it worried us even more when we stopped hearing from him. I mean, we don't want to jump to any conclusions or anything. Maybe, he finally settled down someplace, you know? Finally decided to leave this whole mafia business. But, well... we just want to be sure so we keep on looking."

"Why did he run away, anyway? And don't brats usually come back after a couple of hours when they 'run away'?" Lampo asked.

G sighed. "I don't really know. Never really understood the kid. I mean, he wasn't so bad, disregarding his temper and all, but he wasn't a crybaby so I didn't mind looking after him back then. Didn't really talk much, either. So God knows what was going on in his head. I want to say that Bianchi was closer to him than I was but... I'm pretty sure the kid was afraid of that woman from a very young age."

"Can you blame him?" Daemon muttered.

"I agree, your sister needs Jesus." Knuckle added.

"Couldn't have said it better myself." Lampo nodded. "I heard she's trying to go after an arcobaleno this time."

"Nufufu, from what I heard, it's one of the deadly ones. Luce-san seems to be the only peace-loving person on their little group after all, but the one your sister's aiming for seems to be in a whole different level of deadly."

"They say she fell in love with him at first sight and completely dedicated her life to the guy."

"I also heard she's a well-known assassin right now and her cooking can even melt steel."

"... I wish I could deny all that, I really do." G sighed, earning a pat on the back from Giotto.

There was an awkward silence as G continued to sulk.

"Well then... based on our conversation, it's safe to conclude..." Lampo spoke up. "That you all suck as big brothers."

"What?! What about you?!" G snapped.

"I'm an only child, so I don't count."

"God knew you would be the worst big brother out of all of us so he decided to spare the poor child."

"Shut up, Knuckle!" Lampo snapped, earning him a bonk to the head from Giotto.

"Respect your elders." the blond huffed. "Anyway, it's not like our families can't take care of themselves, we should have faith in them. My brother's in an age where he'd want to become independent, so it's only natural to give him some space."

"The same goes for mine." Alaude sighed.

"What we should be focusing on is the representative battle. Luce-san refused to give us any details about the other arcobaleno, but she did say that she doesn't know who they could possibly ask to fight for them... Well, Mammon would most likely ask the Varia for help, but other than that..."

"The Arcobaleno Fon is my cousin, so we should expect my family to join in the fight." Alaude spoke up, making a few of his companions pale.

"Woah, we're gonna go up against those monsters?" Lampo asked.

"Alaude's enough of a monster already but those two..." G muttered.

"Nufufu, your cousin, huh? Wouldn't that be troublesome for you?"

"Be quiet, and don't think so low of me." Alaude's eyes narrowed. "Fon may be my cousin, but I have debt to Luce-san. And I intend to repay her for everything she's done."

"That's good to hear." Daemon smirked.

"Is there anyone else you think Fon would likely go to?"

"... well, there is the Chiavarone."

"Wait, the Chiavarone?! As in the third most powerful famiglia in the world?!"

Alaude nodded. "They're an old family friend."

"Just what kind of family do you have...?"

"Why is it so surprising? Isn't the Vongola allied to the Chiavarone?"

"The Vongola's different, it's an old organization recognized as the number one!"

"Your point?"

"... Nevermind." he sighed.

"Well, they are indeed formidable enemies, we should start preparing for what's to come." Giotto muttered, after a moment of deliberation, he faced his close friends and issued his orders. "We leave for Namimori tomorrow morning, Asari, please have someone prepare the jet. Alaude, keep an eye on every who has and will enter the area of Namimori starting from last week. G, research every mafioso, yakuza, vigilante or any person with a history in the underworlds that currently resides in Namimori. Daemon, keep an eye on the rest of the arcobaleno. I want to be aware of their movements and every person they come into contact with. The rest of you will scout the area. Figure out the landmarks and memorize every turn and every building. It can be easy to get lost at first but it's a small town, you'll get used to it quickly. Knowing the battleground would definitely be useful in the battle. Do I make myself clear?"

Various sounds of affirmatives was heard and Giotto nodded. "Good then, you are all dismissed. Let's hope for the best..."

* * *

 **Hope you liked it ~ !**

 **So basically, here there's still the curse of the Arcobaleno, but instead of turning into babies they just stop aging and have a shortened life span. They were around in their late-twenties when they were cursed, and right now they don't got that long to live. I'd say they were cursed at around... 14 years before the current time.**

 **Here are the ages and families and other facts:**

 **Sawada**

 **Parents currently reside in Italy**

 **Ieyasu(Giotto) - Eldest, 22 years old**

 **Tsunayoshi - Youngest, 16 years old**

 **Gokudera** **(Hayato's the only Gokudera but the other two don't really have a last name? Their last name isn't Gokudera here, but for the sake of being organized I will put them under this category)**

 **Parents reside in Italy, Hayato's mother is deceased**

 **G - Eldest, 22 years old**

 **Bianchi - Second, 19 years old**

 **Hayato - Youngest, half brother, 16 years old**

 **Yamamoto**

 **Mother is deceased, Father resides in Namimori**

 **A** **sari - Eldest, 23 years old**

 **Takeshi - Youngest, 16 years old**

 **Sasagawa**

 **Parents travel around the world as professional athletes**

 **Knuckle - Eldest, 24 years old**

 **Ryohei - Second, 17 years old**

 **Kyoko - Youngest, 16 years old**

 **Spade**

 **Daemon and Mukuro's mother is deceased, Father's location is unknown, Nagi's Mother's location is unknown**

 **Daemon - Eldest, 24 years old**

 **Mukuro, Second, took up his mother's last name, 18 years old**

 **Nagi - Youngest, deceased for 4 years, age upon death 11 years old**

 **Hibari**

 **Father resides in Tokyo, Mother travels around the world**

 **Alaude - Eldest, 24 years old**

 **Kyouya - Youngest, 18 year old**

 **Fon - Cousin, real age 43, physical age 29 years old**

 **Bovino**

 **Parents reside in Italy**

 **Lambo - Only child, 7 years old**

 **Lampo - Cousin, 18 years old**

 **Future pairings: 1827, 8059, B26, XS. I may add in a few pairings in the future but I'm not sure yet...**

 **Tell me what you think as well as your suggestions! I'll update this next week so please be patient! According to a little survey I did on my other story, you guys prefer Dark!TenthGen, so just wait a little more and I'll give you just that! ;)**

 **Anyway, Please review ~ !**

 **~ RnR ~ !**

 **~ RnR ~ !**


	2. Dealing with Family

**is telling me this has 7,158 words not including A/N but Microsot is telling me it only has 6809 words. Who am I supposed to believe?!**

 **Hey guys~! I'm back and I'm sorry it took so long T^T I messed up with my grades so I had to take this special exam so I won't need to change my course and I really didn't want to so I studied hard for it. Let's pray that I passed! Pray for me guys! :3**

 **Anyway, DAYUM. This chappie is HELLA long O_o But anyway, I guess that's only natural since I haven't updated in a while. I'll try to update it again tomorrow :3 Keyword: Try. I honestly didn't expect it to be so long, this might be the longest chapter I've ever written... Usually it's only up to 4000 words. But I guess the reason is because I found the need to insert various details in here -_-**

 **In my opinion, this is still a filler chapter so sorry QAQ But I hope you still like it! I did my best! Although I feel like this story will not TRULY start until there's an actual Dark!TenthGen scene, but if I jump straight to that it would feel like I'm rushing... So I'm taking things slow :3**

 **THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS A LOT OF FORESHADOWING SO GOOD LUCK FIGURING SHIT OUT! ;)**

 **BTW, I changed the cover photo but I honest to God don't know whose pic that is. Credits to whoever made that masterpiece, please tell me if you know.**

* * *

Giotto arrived in Namimori before lunch, alongside Asari and G. It seems that Alaude, Knuckle and Lampo still had a few family matters to attend to. Fon really did ask the Hibari family to represent him and it looks like Alaude's mother threw a fit when the blond refused. So he had to stay back since his mother had showed up at Vongola headquarters out of nowhere and a pissed top rate assassin is never good news. Giotto could only pray that the man would be alright.

Knuckle was looking forward to going to Namimori but apparently his sister Kyoko wanted to tag along, considering the representative battle that would be held that wasn't really a good idea. So he had to stay in Italy until he can convince her to stay there, it didn't help that their parents were on her side. Kyoko has been living with them in Italy for quite a while now, but she still goes on about wanting to go back to Namimori. She misses living there, so when a chance to visit presents itself, she immediately jumps to it. Especially knowing she'll be able to visit her best friend, Hana, whom she's known since they were in kindergarten. Even after all this time, they still kept in touch so Kyoko would love to see her again. And it could also be a chance to see her other brother, although none of them were exactly sure of Ryohei's current location since he tends to forget contacting them. Understandable considering his training regimen, the last they heard he was in Hokkaido. But Kyoko was certain they would be able to meet up. Ryohei would definitely want to visit Namimori, since he also considers it as his home. If Kyoko could just get in contact with him, then they could surely arrange something. Kyoko really missed their brother, and they were sure it was the same for Ryohei. Knuckle understood his sister's reasons, which was why he was having a hard time convincing her. Hopefully Knuckle would be able to convince her soon and join them as soon as possible.

It looks like there were personal matters Lampo had to attend to at their family, he said that their 'company' was having problems. Everyone in the mafia knew the Bovino family specialized in weapons, they may be a small famiglia but they have a powerful firearm arsenal that would be more than enough to take out a large-scale famiglia. Of course, they were still no strength to a powerful famiglia such as the Vongola so they never paid them any mind. Lampo said that they just finished developing new weapons that were top class and most likely their best work so far. The only downside to it was the wielder of these weapons needed to have enough skill to use them efficiently or else it could only serve as a double-edged sword. But before they could even find appropriate candidates to wield these weapons, they were stolen along with a few other artillery. They wouldn't be so concerned about it since the weapons stolen required undergoing specific training in order to wield them so they generally had nothing to worry about because the little thief would most probably just accidentally kill himself from attempting to use even the least dangerous of it. But the problem was that the theft was most likely done by someone from the inside, and nobody in the mafia tolerated betrayal. So Lampo went home to try and discuss the issue.

Finally, Daemon said something about having a lead on one of the arcobalenos. Apparently his little brother got some intel about it, but refused to state it over the phone and told him to personally come to France, where he was currently residing with his frie- er, 'subordinates'. Daemon looked like he really didn't want to go from how much he said 'annoying' and 'brat' in between ever other word in his sentences while he was reporting to Giotto about his discovery, he never did have a good relationship with his brother. In Giotto's opinion, the problem was they were much too alike. But no matter how much Daemon loathed to see his brother, the 'brat must've said something to pique his interest. Giotto couldn't help but feel curious as well, since Mukuro hated his brother just as much as the other did. He never would've even considered the illusionist helping them out. So Giotto gave Daemon permission to go to France, provided that he'll be at Namimori by the time they have lunch tomorrow. With Vongola's private jets, it shouldn't be too hard. Hopefully, Mukuro's info would be very helpful to them.

So that was why it was only the three of them for now... Well, two, actually. Asari went to check on his family so it was only Giotto and G now. They decided to stay at the Sawada household instead of checking in a hotel. It was more practical, after all. And the only one who was currently staying there was Giotto's little brother, Tsunayoshi and the blond was sure he wouldn't mind.

"Ah." G paused for a moment before fishing out his phone from his pocket.

"What is it?"

"Tsk, it's my sister." G scowled. "I gotta take this, you go on ahead."

"You sure? Do you know the way?"

"Yeah, we're almost there anyway, right? I still remember from the last time we've been here so I'll be fine."

"... The last time I came here with _you_ accompanying me was around half a decade ago, wasn't it?"

"Well, if you say it like that it sounds like it's been a really long time but seriously, I remember okay? If I get lost I'll call you."

"... Okay, be careful, alright? The other representatives might've already arrived."

"Got it." G nodded and they parted ways.

* * *

When Giotto arrived at the Sawada residence (since he can't really call it home, it was just a house that belonged to them), he was honestly shocked. To a normal person, it would've been just another ordinary house that was nice, simple and at the same time indistinguishable from the other houses. But for some reason, the house looked... gloomy compared to all the other houses. He wasn't sure why but the atmosphere around it just seemed so depressing.

Giotto shook his head. Maybe it was just his imagination? Yeah, he was just tired. He sighed and entered.

His mother already contacted Tsunayoshi last night, so he should be aware of their arrival. He also said he didn't mind if they stayed as long as they don't cause too much trouble, which was reasonable.

Upon entering, Giotto wondered why the place was so dark. Why were the curtains shut? And it was a bit dusty too. Well, he could understand if his brother wasn't fond of cleaning, what kind of high schooler likes chores, after all? But this wasn't what he expected. He could understand if it was messy like a tornado hit and all sorts of stuff were scattered around with food chunks littering the floor, the typical 'teenager living by himself' scenario, but this... it somehow felt like nobody's been living here for quite a while now.

His thoughts were cut off when he heard noise. It was Saturday, so it was most likely Tsuna. Didn't he hear him enter?

Walking through the hallway, he found the kitchen and it seemed to be the only place emitting light.

"Ah, Nii-san." a young teen, who he can only assume to be his brother, nodded in greeting. It's been almost three years since he last saw his little brother, and it was only then did the blond realized how much time had really passed. Giotto himself had taken after their father, inheriting his blond hair, blue eyes and muscular build, but Tsunayoshi had always looked more like their mother with his chestnut brown hair and chocolate brown eyes that were too big and innocent looking. He also had a rather petite build and his features can be described as a bit feminine. But compared to the last time he saw him, Tsunayoshi had a leaner body, his posture was more firm and he gave off an aura that contradicted his timid and shy personality from a few years ago. His eyes, although still wide and child-like had become (only a bit) narrower and he seemed more mature.

Or has he always been like this and Giotto just never noticed. He felt guilty thinking about it, but he never paid much attention to his little brother. He loved him and would never want him to get hurt, but the boy's timid personality had just made him so easy to ignore. It didn't help that Giotto had always been so busy with his training as a future Mafia Boss.

"I didn't hear you come in, sorry if it's a bit... messy here. I don't really have much time to clean the place up, school and all." Tsunayoshi explained, continuing the task of preparing dinner.

"Ah, I don't really mind. And we're only going to be staying here for a few weeks at most, so it won't be an issue." the blond smiled nervously. This little interaction was somewhat uncomfortable. Despite being brothers, they were probably worse than complete strangers. Knowing nothing about each other, having almost no memories of ever spending time together and only interacting out of obligation. Giotto inwardly sighed, Tsunayoshi most likely has no interest in getting to know him.

"Do you need help?" Giotto offered.

"It's fine, you're probably tired from your flight so you should go rest. Mom said you had company?"

"Some of them had to stay back in Italy for a while, but the others should arrive later."

Tsunayoshi hummed, not sparing him a glance since uttering the word 'Nii-san'. "Okay, I'll call you when they arrive."

"... Thanks, I appreciate it."

Giotto sighed once he shut the door to his room, it was the one he always stayed in whenever he came to visit so Tsunayoshi didn't need to show him.

Honestly, even though he had such strong bonds with his famiglia, he really didn't have a good relationship with his family- his own flesh and blood. How ironic...

But now wasn't the time to be thinking of these things, Giotto felt his resolved strengthening. No matter how much it bothered him, he needed to focus at the current situation. He can't afford to get distracted, such things can be handled at a later date. For now, Luce-san needed them.

Tsunayoshi, on the other hand, didn't.

* * *

"What do you want?!" G snapped upon answering the phone.

"Is that how you greet your sister? After such a long time, too. I'm hurt, Onii-chan." the voice on the other line sighed in exasperation.

"Tsk, I'm busy, woman. If you have nothing to say then bother someone else."

"As short-tempered as usual, huh? How did someone like you become friends with such a nice man like Giotto?" Bianchi sighed. "Where are you right now?"

G frowned, choosing to ignore the insult no matter how much he wanted to yell at his sister. "I'm at Namimori, Japan. Didn't I already tell you that?"

"I'm in Namimori Airport right now, pick me up."

"Wh-WHAT?!" G's eyes widened.

"I said I'm in Namimori Airport right now, my plane just landed. And I need you to-"

"What the hell are you doing here, woman?!"

"Can you not shout? You're making me deaf, and you're probably causing quite a ruckus wherever you are right now."

" _Bianchi_ ," G growled out. "Go home."

"No."

"I'm serious! I already told you about the current situation, didn't I?! Namimori isn't a safe place right now. Who knows what kind of people the other arcobaleno has chosen to be their representatives." G spoke, genuine curiosity seeping into his tone.

"I don't care." Bianchi said, stubbornly. Then her voice became soft and quiet. "Hayato's here..."

G froze at this. "Hayato..? How did you know?!"

"I got some information from a very reliable source a few weeks ago, although I didn't doubt that the information is true, I still wanted to be 100% certain before I went to check it out. But then you told me about the representative battles and... I couldn't just stay at home and hope for the best."

"... Did you manage to confirm your info?"

"I didn't have that much time-"

"Then it could be wrong! Bianchi, I'm not letting you stay here knowing you could become a target for just being associated with the Vongola! I'm not gonna-"

"I know Hayato's _here_ , G-nii! I just know, okay?!" Bianchi snapped, sounding very upset but at the same time so _desperate_. She had always been such an independent woman, carrying herself with pride. So hearing her sounding so weak and helpless left a bad taste in his mouth. She should never be reduced to such a state like this, he hated it. "Please, just let me stay for a little while. I'll find him, just please..."

G pondered for a moment before sighing. "Just- Just go home, okay? _I'll_ look for Hayato. For now, it's not safe for you to be here. I'll call you when I find him."

"But you're too busy with the representative battle, aren't you?! Not to mention that out of all the guardians, Giotto trusts you the most. You'll barely have any time to look for him." she argued. "G-nii, please. I can take care of myself, I work as a freelance assassin, you know. But Hayato- I just, I can't sit still knowing he's here and he could get hurt. It won't take long, I'll definitely find him. Just _let_ me."

"What do you even plan to do once you find him, anyway? It's been _8 years_ , Bianchi. What will you tell him? Do you plan on bringing him back to Italy?"

"W-well, of course I want him to come back home-"

"Forget it, Bianchi. He hasn't come back after all this time, what makes you think he'll come back now?"

"But if he stays in Namimori, he'll get hurt!"

"Do you think he'll believe you if you tell him that it's dangerous here? It may have been a long time, but I'm sure you remember how stubborn he was. If he doesn't want to go back home, then he won't. Even if you find him, it won't change anything."

G didn't receive a reply from the other end of the line, he inwardly sighed. Maybe he was a bit too harsh?

"... Please, I just want to talk to him..."

This time he really sighed. His sister was a hell of a lot more stubborn than he was.

"... Fine, but I want you back on a plane to Italy before the representative battles start, okay?"

"Y-yes! That's more than enough time!" he could practically see his sister's bright smile, tears threatening to spill from the utter happiness. "Thank you, G-nii!"

"Yeah, yeah. Just sit still, I'll be there in a sec."

"Got it!"

* * *

"Looks like the shop's still going strong, huh?" Asari chuckled, looking around Takesushi which hasn't changed much since he last visited. "As expected of you, Father. People just can't get enough of your cooking."

"Hahaha, c'mon now, you're making me blush." Tsuyoshi rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Although you really didn't have to close the shop early today, I'm only stopping by, after all." Asari said, albeit guiltily.

"Oh, don't say that! You just got back home! Spend some time with your family for a bit! We have a lot of things to catch up on, you know." his father smirked. "Takeshi won't be back until later, you should be here when he gets back and greet him. How long has it been since you've spent time with you brother, anyway?"

"Too long." Asari sighed before realizing something. "Hm..? Wait, it's Saturday, isn't it? Takeshi shouldn't have school today. Unless he's having trouble?"

Tsuyoshi only laughed. "Well, he isn't exactly a genius but his grades are just fine, Asari. That boy's just at an age where he spends most of his time hanging out with friends. They're really nice kids, you should meet them."

"Maybe I will, it'll give me the chance to get to know my little brother better."

"Speaking of which, I haven't really met _your_ friends, have I? You should invite them over."

"I plan to." Asari reassured him with a smile.

"How long do you plan on staying, by the way?"

"Probably a month or two, it's hard to say."

"Oh? That's pretty long, this whole representative battle must be a huge deal, huh? You sure you youngsters don't need my help?"

Asari smiled gratefully. "Thanks, but only seven representatives are allowed per team. If you want to join the battle, it would have to be as our opponent."

"Well, can't have that, can we? Then just be careful, alright?"

"I will." he nodded. "Ah, speaking of which. Maybe you should tell Takeshi not to spend too much time outside for now, it could be dangerous."

His concern was immediately brushed aside by a bout of laughter.

"Ah, if it's Takeshi then you don't have to worry about him at all! I've been teaching him the way of the sword, so he should be fine."

"You have?" this was news to Asari, he thought that his little brother only focused on playing baseball.

"Yeah, must've thought it would come in handy when he entered middle school. With that Hibari kid in the same school as him, I'm not really surprised."

"Hibari? You mean Alaude's brother?"

"Yep! He's Takeshi's senpai, and apparently he's leading some disciplinary committee, although it's looking a lot more like a yakuza group, but what would you expect of someone from that family?" Tsuyoshi laughed good-naturedly. "I remember the first time their mother came along and found out about my occupation as a former assassin, she practically lunged at me, demanding a fight!"

Asari didn't know if he should laugh or be frightened at Alaude's family.

"Well, he might be a trouble-maker but Hibari's a good kid too, when it comes down to it. People think of him as the protector of Namimori, in fact. So civilians can rest easy knowing they got a monster like that looking out for them."

"... I see." Asari sighed. "Then I guess I have nothing to worry about. Are you sure nothing out of the ordinary has occurred lately?"

"Hmm... Well, now that you mention it, Hibari's henchmen have been acting a bit tense lately."

"Tense?"

"Yeah, they seem busier than usual and I honestly haven't seen Hibari that much lately. Which is strange, since he's usually so diligent in his patrols. Never misses a single one unless absolutely necessary." After the explanation, Tsuyoshi pondered on it for a moment before shrugging. "But you know, maybe he took a vacation. Looking out for Namimori can be really tiring, you know? I'm sure it's nothing. I've been keeping a look out for anyone suspicious, but so far we're in the clear."

"I see, I hope it can stay peaceful."

Tsuyoshi grinned at his son. "I'm sure it will."

* * *

Knuckle ran a hand through his hair in frustration. He just couldn't convince his parents to let Kyoko stay in Italy, of course that had to something to do with the fact that he can't tell them anything about the representative battles. Despite being actively involved in one of the most powerful famiglia in the world, Knuckle's parents were kept in the dark about the whole thing, since they were pretty much civilians, similar to Giotto's mother. As far as they were concerned, Knuckle was best friends with the son off a wealthy businessman who had immediately offered the boxer an office job after they graduated.

So of course, they wouldn't see anything wrong with having him bring Kyoko along to his 'business trip' to Japan. Knuckle was starting to think that it was becoming a hopeless case, but he can't just expose his little sister to danger, he'd never forgive himself is he did. But if he wanted to keep her safe, then he had to think of something fast. His parents looked like they already decided on letting Kyoko go while she was busy contacting her best friend in Namimori.

He was starting to panic at that point... but then the strangest thing occurred.

"Eh? What do you mean, Hana-chan?" the rest of her family couldn't help but look up, finding it odd for her to sound so upset, the concern in her tone was practically a permanent feature but the underlying fear and the silent demand in her seemingly innocent question made them tense a bit.

"Wah~! Really? That's so scary!" Kyoko's frown was a bit unsettling and did nothing to appease their curiosity. "O-ok, I got it. Next time then, okay?"

"Is something wrong?" their mother asked.

"A-ah, I called Hana-chan to tell her that I'm coming to Namimori to visit but... she told me not to. At least not yet. Apparently there's been a lot of incidents involving yakuza groups lately, she thinks that there may be a turf war."

"Oh? That sounds dangerous!"

"Yeah... she told me to postpone my visit, at least until things cool down."

"Well, that sounds like a good idea. I won't be able to rest easy if I know you went there at such a dangerous time." their father spoke up and teen couldn't help but sulk.

"Oh, don't be sad, sweetheart!" their mother immediately offered some comfort. "I know you were looking forward to it but you're going to have to wait for now. As soon as things settle down there, we'll schedule you a flight to Japan immediately, okay?"

"... Okay."

"Are you still planning on going, Knuckle?" their father asked. "I'd feel better if you didn't."

"Sorry, Dad. But it's a really that I be there, don't worry. I can handle myself."

"... Okay, just make sure not to cause too much trouble, okay? You don't know what could happen if you happen to mess with the wrong people."

"Got it."

"Oh, that's right, how about your brother?"

"Ryo-nii-san isn't picking up his phone." Kyoko pouted. "He must be too absorbed with training again."

Their mother laughed. "Well, that's Ryohei for you."

Knuckle stopped listening shortly after this, he had a bad feeling about this little 'turf war' going on in Namimori. Is it really just some petty fight between yakuza or did it have something to do with the representative battle? What did his sister mean by 'incidents' anyway? He was going to have to report this to Giotto, but knowing him, he may already know about it by the time he arrives at Japan.

* * *

"Tsk." Alaude patched himself up, having been a _bit_ roughed up from his little _chat_ with his mother. And people thought _he_ was merciless...

"Well, how do I say this..." a certain someone spoke up, a tad bit too cheerful for his liking. "You kind of got off easy, all things considering. So well, you know, there's that."

"Silence, I can manage just fine without your chattering, Cavallone. So would you kindly leave me be?"

"Are you sure you don't need my help? You look like... well, you've seen better days, I suppose."

"I doubt you can do better if you ever got the chance to face _her._ You probably wouldn't last a minute."

"Well, I can't deny that. Mrs. Hibari is one hell of a woman, after all." Dino laughed awkwardly. "But you know, she's actually being reasonable this time. Fon's your cousin, right? Don't you want to help him out?"

"I barely know that man. Kyouya is probably closer to him than I am, and that's really saying something since the brat can't even stay in the same room as someone for five minutes without picking a fight."

"I heard his subordinates are an expection, though." Dino chuckled. "But that's besides the point, whether or not you're close, you guys are still family, right? Don't you want to help your cousin? He could die, you know."

"I am aware of that, and I don't have any ill will towards Fon. But if I have to choose, I would not hesitate to pick Luce-san. I am greatly indebted to her and this may be my only chance of repaying her for everything she's done to me all these years."

"... Well, I guess I can't blame you. She's been more of a mother to you than your biological one, after all."

Alaude scoffed. "If Mother is so concerned about Fon then she should join the battle herself, along with Father."

"They can't, you know that. The representative battle could go on for a month, maybe even a year depending on how things go. There's no way to tell, really. And if word got out about your mother's location, it would just cause more trouble than it's worth. Your father, on the other hand, has work to do. It may sound inconsiderate, but who knows what people would do while he's gone. Criminals all over Japan lay low because of him, you know and they'll definitely take advantage of his absence to do some terrible stuff."

"I know, you don't need to speak to me as if I was a child." Alaude scoffed. "We're the same age, and I am mentally more mature and more responsible than you."

"Aw, don't be like that! You know I'm older than you by two months."

"I'll arrest you for disrespecting a law enforcer."

"You're a mafioso though."

Alaude scowled but decided to change the subject before he lashes out. He was still a little sore since his mother didn't know how to hold back, even when facing her own son. "Are you going to become Fon's representative?"

"Hm? Why wouldn't I be? Our families are very close, you know."

"Aren't you associated with another Arcobaleno?"

"Oh, you mean Reborn." Dino frowned at the memory. "Well, to be honest, I talked to him just the other day, shortly after Fon asked me to be his representative. He didn't seem concerned at all. I asked him about it, but he kept brushing it off as if it's just some boring event he doesn't want to attend but is obligated to! Knowing him, he might know something the rest of us doesn't."

"Hmph, as you would expect from the world's greatest hitman."

"Ah! But when I told him about Fon's invitation he just insulted me and then told me to go on ahead! Says he wasn't looking for any representatives."

"Hn?" Now this caught Alaude's interest. "Really? I thought he would be the biggest threat out of all the arcobaleno though, did he refuse to partake in the battle?"

"I don't know, but Fon did mention about Reborn being strangely silent during their 'dream'." Dino frowned, looking worried. "I asked Fon about this and even he can't say for sure but it was a possibility... You don't think he's going to back out from the battle, do you?"

"Hn... it could be possible. But for the number one hitman to just accept his death, it's hard to imagine."

"Right?! There's no way that could happen!"

"Well, I couldn't care less if he did. That just means less opponents to worry about." Alaude muttered, leaving Dino gaping at him. "So then, does that make you Fon's only representative?"

"Ah, no. He had his student join in as well."

"Student?"

"Yeah, her name's I pin! She a good kid, a really skilled assassin too. She'd definitely be a big help." Dino grinned. "Oh, and I asked Kyouya too. Although it looks like he has his hands full being the chairman of his school's Disciplinary Committee, so I can't be sure if he'll be able to help out."

"Hn, knowing him he'll probably jump at any chance of getting a good fight."

"I don't know, he's pretty dedicated when it comes to Namimori you know."

No, he didn't know that. He didn't know anything about his brother except for the fact that he can be such a brat sometimes. But Alaude just decided to stay silent before promptly leaving the room, he has a flight to catch.

* * *

Daemon scowled, viewing the old, abandoned building where his brother told him to meet him at. How troublesome. He'd really rather not see his brother, it's been years since their last meeting because frankly, they can't stand each other's face. The illusionist grumbled, the info Mukuro has better be worth all the trouble.

"Oh? You must be Mukuro-sama's brother?" a female voice spoke up and he looked around before spotting a bunch of teens; one red headed girl, a blond with a scar on his cheeks and another boy with a beanie and glasses.

"Mukuro-sama is waiting for you inside." the girl informed him and he immediately deduced that they were his brother's subordinates. "We're told to wait out here since you guys are supposed to have a _private_ conversation."

He stared at them for a moment longer before entering the eerie building. Honestly, does his brother really prefer to live under these circumstances than to stay at their home? He couldn't understand how anyone could seek shelter at such a rundown place.

"Kufufu, you took your time." his little brother then solidified from mist right in front of him.

Raising an eyebrow, Daemon crossed his arms. "Well, I wasn't really looking forward to seeing you. It would've taken a lot longer too if I didn't have better things to do."

"Still wasting my time, like always, huh?"

"Nufufu, why don't you just make it quick so I can leave?" Daemon could feel a vein throb. "What is it that you wanted to tell me, brat?"

"Ah, that's right. It's about one of the Arcobaleno's representatives. I know who they are."

The elder of the two frowned. "Which one? And how did you know about this?"

"Well, you are aware of the Lightning Arcobaleno, Verde, right?"

Now this piqued his interest even more. Verde was a genius, after all. And he was known for using underhanded tricks to get what he wants, a real troublesome one. Other than the Sun Arcobaleno, he was definitely one major threat.

"Well, there's no other way to say this so..." Mukuro sighed, making Daemon frown in confusion but his little brother only smirked. "I, along with my subordinates, will serve as the Lightning Arcobaleno's representative."

Luckily, Mukuro already had his trident out so he was able to block Daemon's scythe. He knew this would happen...

"Kufufu, would you like to play with me again after all these years, _brother_?"

"What were you thinking?!" Daemon demanded. "You realize that this isn't just some _game_ , right? You don't even know Verde personally, so why would you agree to be his representative?!"

"I have my reasons."

"Care to share? If you do, I might actually reconsider killing you."

"Kufufu, you're welcome to try."

"Nufufufu, getting cocky, aren't we, brat?"

* * *

If M.M., Ken and Chikusa had heard the explosion(s) coming from inside the mansion which was serving as their temporary base, they didn't say anything. They were told to just wait outside after they were done with their little talk, after all.

* * *

It took a while of trading blows before Daemon managed to calm himself down and stop attacking his younger brother, he was more mature than this, after all. And he needed answers, not a corpse. Mukuro seemed rather disappointed that their fight was abruptly stopped, though.

"Explain, Mukuro." Daemon sighed. "It's not like you to do things out of impulse, so why are you doing this?"

"I don't have to explain myself to you."

"But you will." he crossed his arms. "Why else am I here, after all."

"Kufufu, as sharp as ever, I see. As expected of a Vongola guardian."

There was a long silence, Daemon didn't say anything and simply waited for his brother to speak.

"It's been four years now, hasn't it?"

The elder one resisted the urge to flinch, knowing exactly what the younger was talking about. What else could it be, after all?

"It has... What does she have to do with this?" he demanded.

"It's been four years, and yet I've only been made aware of what happened just three years ago. It took me over a year before I found out that my cute little sister was dead..." he laughed humorlessly, pain clearly reflecting on his eyes.

"I tried to call you but it was really hard to get in touch when I had no clue where you were."

"I know, I know. It was my fault, don't think I blame you." he waved it off. "We both cared for her, after all."

It was true, their love for their little sister was practically the only thing they can both agree on. Although they didn't share the same mother with her and also considering the fact that she was very shy even to them, they cared for the kind and bright child that possessed the innocence that neither of them possessed. She was an angel that they had felt the need to protect, completely unlike her awful gold digger of a mother.

They both greatly regret the day they had let her walk away from their life. Their father had gone missing, and after months of searching, he was then presumed to be dead so his possessions were then distributed according to his will. He was a very wealthy man, which was probably why their step-mother married him. Honestly, neither of them would be surprised if she was the one behind his disappearance. But much to everyone's surprise, he didn't leave her with a single cent. According to his will, the entire inheritance will be divided among his sons, and a small portion of it will be given to his daughter when she turns 18.

Their step-mother was furious and left the mansion, along Italy in general, and went to live in Japan and married another influential man. She dragged her daughter with her, they tried to stop her but were helpless since she _was_ Nagi's legal guardian. Daemon was only 17 at the time so it wasn't like he could fight for the custody of his sister. The image of her being dragged out of their home by her mother all the while looking at them with a fearful and confused look that made their heart clench was the last time they ever saw her again.

"I secretly gave her a phone that time, you know."

"Yeah, that's how you kept in touch, right?" Daemon sighed, he really didn't like to be reminded of their late sister. What was the point? You can't change the past.

"She'd call me from time to time, although I was often busy so I couldn't really talk to her often..." Mukuro sighed. "In any case, when I found out about what happened... You gave me all the details, right?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Was the information you gave me 100% true?"

"Of course, I got it directly from the hospital she was confined in before she..." he couldn't bring himself to finish that sentence.

"It couldn't be..."

Daemon frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"September 6... You said that was the day she died? Are you certain of that?"

"Of course I am, Mukuro. Where are you going with-"

"At September 6, you say that she died... But at September 9 I received 3 missed calls from her number."

Daemon's blood ran cold.

What..?

"Couldn't it have been someone using her phone to try to contact you and tell you about-"

"Her phone was secured with various passwords, and with a little of my own mist flames, I ensured that no one else but her can see it, lest that woman try to take it from her." Mukuro explained, speaking of their step-mother with great distaste. "No, the only one who could have possibly used that phone was Chrome. And she definitely called me 3 days after she supposedly 'died'."

"That's impossible, Mukuro." Daemon snapped at him.

"It's not actually." his face was blank, but the elder did not fail to notice how his grip on the trident. "At September 24, there was a great fire at their estate, almost nothing was left of it after that little incident. Pretty unbelievable, considering the fact that they were saying it was caused by a candle someone forgot to put out. Along with a few servants, that woman's husband had died. Funny enough, she was out on a business trip so she was completely safe."

"Their bodies were burnt to nothingness, and the only way to record all the victims was to find out who had been there the night before. That woman was more than happy to give them a list of all the occupants of their mansion that night, and they just assumed that the list she gave them was the full list of all the victims. There was no other way to find out, after all since there were no bodies left."

Daemon's eyes widened, catching on to what his brother was trying to say. No, it can't be...

"Kufufu, after that little incident, that woman received the entirety of the poor bastard's wealth." Mukuro looked like he was ready to snap, his eyes filled with rage.

"No... Even if you say that, how can you be sure? In the first place, why would that woman fake Nagi's death just to kill her at a later date?"

"To avoid suspicion." he answered flatly. "If Nagi had died in a fire like that, we would've been suspicious as to what started it and would've investigated. But if she died in a car accident... Then that would be the end of it, right? No one asked questions, we just accepted it to be an unfortunate incident."

He couldn't believe what he was hearing, but he couldn't deny that it made a lot of sense. But for that woman to kill his own daughter...?

He clenched his fists. No, if it was her, then she's definitely capable of doing such a thing. She was that selfish.

"It would also explain why there had been no funeral." Mukuro added. "Because there had been no body in the first place..."

Daemon grit his teeth, his fingers twitching with the need to kill.

"But in the end, it's all speculation. We can't just make assumptions with no evidence, all you have is a record of missed calls. It would have been different if you really had talked to her." Mukuro's eyes narrowed at this. "Why are you bringing this up now, anyways? It's been years..."

"Well, it took a while for me to find out, and then I had to get over the... shock of it all. And then, when I could finally handle it, I finally checked the details of her death along with a few other things. It wasn't long after that that I made the connection, and it hasn't even been a year since that happened." the teen explained. "I wanted to demand answers from that woman, but she disappeared shortly after the fire."

"So that's what you've been busy with..."

"Yep, hunting down that bitch." he smirked. "So far no luck."

"And?" Daemon asked. "What does your 'search for answers' have to do with the representative battle?"

"Ah, yes. Of course. We got completely off-track, didn't we?" the smirk returned to his face. "Well, first of all, when that woman moved to Japan with Nagi, she lived at Namimori up until her disappearance."

"So you're using this opportunity to investigate."

"Yes, well... there's that. But there's also the advantage of having an arcobaleno." Mukuro's smirk widened. "He admittedly has more influence and knowledge than I do, so his resourced will definitely become uselful."

"So that's you're reason, huh?"

"That's right."

Daemon frowned, resisting the urge to glare at his brother. Mukuro stayed silent, waiting for his brother's response.

"If your little theory happens to be true... what's your plan?" Daemon finally asked. "Will you kill her? That's not gonna change anything you know."

Mukuro stared back at him with a blank look before replying. "I know. But I can't just sit still when my precious little Nagi could've been murdered while the killer is still out there, enjoying a wealthy life. I'm sure you feel the same way."

"I do. Believe me, I do." Daemon sighed. "But I can't let you win this battle, Mukuro. No matter what happens, Nagi can't be brought back to life. Luce-san, on the other hand, is still alive and I don't plan on losing another person who's precious to me."

"I understand." Mukuro sighed before smirking sadistically. "So I guess this is war. May the best man win, _brother_."

* * *

 **Daemon's side of the story was hella fun to write though :3**

 **I think his is the longest one? I think I have favoritism. I might tend to focus on either Tsuna, Hibari or Mukuro on this chapter since I have their tragic backstories all planned out. Not much with the others though -_- As I was writing this A/N I only JUST realized that I forgot to add in Lampo I'M SO SORRY QAQ But hey, you know what? Let's not think about that. We don't want this to reach 10,000 words, do we? That's enough for today~ Sorry it was so long -_- I'll probably just add Lampo on the second one, although to be honest it's not really that important since he just went to some meeting. Boooring -3-**

 **So yeah, anyway, if you have an idea of any possible way we can fuck up the other guardians for the sake of giving them a tragic backstory then I'm all ears! You can't be batshit insane without a tragic backstory, after all :3 But if you got nothing, then I guess I can manage.**

 **IMPORTANT THING: PM me all your ideas for this fic, don't post it in a review please! . Sometimes ya'll post reviews suggesting me stuff that I actually PLAN on doing or maybe I actually read your review and decided that you know what that's a good idea. But reviews are public and now I feel like there's this spoiler on posted at the review section for ALL to see and nobody even realizes it and it just BOTHERS me, you know? Sorry for being weird T^T but yeah, PM me your ideas. Don't review them. But if you're a guest here then... I guess it can't be helped :/ If I do end up using your idea, I will give you credit. And probably a one-shot dedicated to you if I have the time.**

 **ABOUT THIS FIC: Guest-san asked if I could only give hints and not make the pairings definitive... I think I should. I'll probably just post the romance in another, separate story. But let's focus on moving on with the intro of this fic first.**

 **It was kind of painful to write about the Spade family, I REALLY didn't want to make Chrome and Mukuro siblings because I'm a solid 6996 shipper but it can't be helped I guess -_-**

 **I also wanted to put Hibari's parents in the fic, as in actually make them into regular characters here but I don't think I want an OC in this fic and I think it would be unfair and showing my favoritism towards Hibari if I did so. So they're just mentioned here :D Their primary purpose was for the 1827 scenes anyway so it's all cool.**

 **Did you guys notice anything in this chappie...? ;)**

 **REVIEWS:**

 **lashayluv-SAN - thank you so much! And here it is! :D Hope it didn't disappoint! T^T**

 **r-SAN - PM me :3 And thank you for reviewing!**

 **Guest-SAN - that's exactly what I'm going for! XD I think I'll have to reconsider the pairings I guess? Maybe I'll focus on the family relationship on this one, since it's pretty much fucked up :/**

 **Dawn Tea-SAN - I'm sorry for making you wait! Please wait for Tsuna's POV, it will be coming. Soon my children, soon... :3 PM me~!**

 **That's it, thanks for the reviews dears! And I would really appreciate more!**

 **Please review ~ !**

 **~ RnR ~ !**

 **~ RnR ~ !**


	3. Details, Details

**Ugh, the first three chapters are so boring -_- I'll make the next one exciting for sure. Sorry you guys had to make do with this boring plot so far. And YES, I know it's already thursday. I TRIED, okay? But this thing has 4,146 words. I'm not even trying to make it long, it just happens :/**

 **Hope you enjoy~!**

* * *

Giotto was starting to feel uneasy. Things were not looking so bright at the moment.

First of all, let's look at their current situation.

Alaude and Daemon were glaring at each other while throwing insults, as per usual. And G, who was berating them in an attempt to get them to get along for at least five minutes, was not helping the situation. Asari chose to ignore them in favor of trying to invite everyone to visit his father's restaurant. Lampo looked interested, but otherwise bored of the situation so he made a point to insult G every now and then which worsened the man's temper. And Knuckle was once again preaching to them about the Word of God because Daemon had said some... demonic things earlier which would've been best left ignored.

He could honestly live with all that; he has actually, for the past 15 years or so. But there was something else here that caused his expression to go dark.

"Hahaha, you're friends are really lively, son!" Iemitsu laughed, observing the scene in a tank top and boxer shorts with a bottle of sake at one hand. Colonello and Lal Mirch were bickering at the background, adding to the ruckus they were making which was probably starting to disturb the neighbors. Meanwhile, Tumeric and Oregano were peacefully chatting near the corner of the room, as far away from the noisy group as possible without looking like they were trying to avoid getting involved in the chaos. Basil was in the kitchen with Tsuna, preparing a snack for everyone.

Giotto pinched the bridge of his nose in an effort to relieve some stress, for the upcoming representative battle, he was gonna have to fight his father. Great.

Admittedly, he wasn't that close with his father. It wasn't that he had negative feelings towards the man, they were just often busy. Iemitsu with managing the CEDEF and Giotto with his training, they were both busy men so they never really got the chance to bond so Giotto was just a little uncomfortable with being with the man. Although the man had been planning to retire and give his position to his apprentice, Basil so he's had more time to spend with his family, much to Nana's delight. That still doesn't mean that he managed to repair the rift in between them so far.

So it was to his horror that the blond found out that his father will become his enemy soon enough, things were already awkward between them, this wouldn't help things at all. But for some God-forsaken reason, Iemitsu doesn't seem bothered by it all and was currently relaxing at their house without a care in the world.

They were going to be a tough opponent; of that Giotto was 100% sure. But he definitely wasn't the only one they had to worry about, Alaude has confirmed that Dino Cavallone was going to be the Storm Arcobaleno, Fon's representative while Daemon had informed him (with a grim expression) that his brother Mukuro and his band of misfits were going to be the Lightning Arcobaleno, Verde's representative. His Mist has also confirmed that the Varia will be involved, as per the Mist Arcobaleno's request. There was no news about the other Arcobaleno, other than what Alaude had told him about the Hitman Reborn, which only made him even more uneasy. The man had always had that sort of effect on people. He honestly wouldn't be surprised if the man was planning something. You can never be sure with that man.

"Here. You guys must be hungry from your trip..." Tsunayoshi said, or more like muttered but it was at least spoken loud enough for all of them to hear. He set down a plate of snacks; biscuits, sweets and a few home-made cupcakes. Basil, on the other hand, set down a tray with drinks.

"Ah, thank you, Tsunayoshi-kun." Asari gave him his usual calm smile, but Tsunayoshi only shifted uncomfortably before taking a seat next to his father.

"This is really delicious." Lampo commented, looking genuinely surprised after taking a bite of one of the cupcakes.

"Th-thank you."

"Tsunayoshi-dono baked those himself, I am not familiar with the process so I wasn't of much help." Basil informed them.

"Hahaha, well that's to be expected. He had a great teacher, after all! Nana's the best there is when it comes to food!" Iemitsu grinned.

"Hm... so you're good at baking, huh?" Lampo asked.

"Yeah. I guess..."

"He's a good cook, too." G commented, remembering their meals from before the other guardians arrived. They were all prepared by Tsuna and it rivaled the ones made by top-class chefs that they would often eat back in Italy.

"Oh? That reminds me, do you want to come with us to my father's restaurant, Tsunayoshi-kun?" Asari asked. "Who knows? Maybe my father would even give you some tips to improve your cooking skills, although he only specializes in making sushi."

"... I'll think about it..."

"Great!" Asari grinned.

"Don't say that as if he's already agreed to go, idiot!" G scowled.

"Now now, I'm sure he'll love to come." Asari laughed. "Are you familiar with Takesushi, Tsunayoshi-kun?"

"Yeah... it's really famous."

The man beamed with pride. "When you have the time to come along with us, I'll treat you!"

"Th-thanks..."

Afterwards, there was mindless chatter. A few (most) of them continuing their bickering while others talked about anything and everything; Iemitsu asked Tsuna about school, Basil inquired about Takesushi, Daemon purposely trying to piss off Alaude but the man kept his composure, Knuckle preached to them, etc.

"Ah, I almost forgot!" Knuckle suddenly blurted out, effectively silencing most of them. "Tsunayoshi, do you anything about Hibari?"

This effectively silenced the remaining people (Daemon and Alaude) who were making a ruckus, good thing too because Alaude had already pulled out his handcuffs and seemed ready to pounce. Tsunayoshi blinked at the question.

"Hibari? You mean Hibari Kyouya?" he asked. "Of course, he's the ruler of Namimori. Who doesn't know him?"

"R-ruler of Namimori?" Giotto, and a few others, sweat dropped.

"Yeah, he's the chairman of the disciplinary committee at my high school. He's also the leader of the delinquents."

"Those two statements completely contradict each other." Lampo muttered.

"Why the sudden interest?" Giotto asked Knuckle.

"Well, I heard from Kyoko there's been some incidents going around here. Her friend told her that things should be fine soon though, 'because Hibari will handle it'."

"Yeah, it looks like some... troublemakers decided to take residence in Namimori lately, so he's been a lot stricter in enforcing the rules." the brunet explained.

"What kind of incidents has occurred, exactly?" Alaude crossed his arms, genuinely curious about the state of Namimori. It was being protected by his brother after all; he wanted to know how well the brat did his job.

"Just a few fights between some thugs and Hibari-san's subordinates. Although a few people have gotten hurt because they got caught up in the crossfire, it's nothing serious, really. It happens from time to time, so no one's really concerned." Tsuna muttered, barely loud enough for them to hear. But the way he spoke, it was as if he was talking about some school event that didn't concern him instead of potential danger lurking in the town he lives in.

"It sounds like something you _should_ be concerned about though..." G muttered.

"It's nothing, really. Ask anyone, it's no big deal." he shrugged.

"But it should still be dangerous, since Kyoko's friend told her not to come to Namimori..." Knuckle said.

"Ah, that..." Tsunayoshi looked uncertain, but when he received expectant looks from them, he sighed. "Well, I'm sure she just wants her to stay safe. For us, these sort of things have pretty much become the norm. But it might not go so well for someone from the outside, so I just I can understand her intentions..."

"Well, that makes sense." Lampo shrugged.

The conversation shifted to useless topics after that with Tsunayoshi barely uttering a word. Neither Iemitsu nor Giotto was concerned with this, thinking the teen was just uncomfortable being in a room full of strangers.

They never noticed how he watched them with blank and almost dead eyes.

* * *

Luce arrived a week after Giotto had and immediately took residence within the Sawada household. Although Colonello and his team were also staying there for the time being, no one seemed to mind. It may have been a bit crowded, but nothing a few sacrificial lambs taking refuge on the couch and sometimes even the floor could fix.

Other than the private meetings held between teams once in a while, they all got along fine. You would never have thought that they were opponents or anything. Luce, specifically, has been brighter than usual. Although she has always been known to be positive in the face of dire situations, it was still comforting to see her act like her usual self. She has especially been trying to get close to Tsunayoshi who, at that point, still hasn't warmed up to them. Iemitsu kept telling them that the teen had always been very shy but that wasn't stopping the Sky Arcobaleno from trying. More often than not, though, she was brushed off. Once thing they immediately noticed was that Tsunayoshi was a loner, he didn't seem to have any friends, or at least he never talked about any of them or brought them home to hang out. But it was possible he had one, since he tends to be away from the house from early in the morning until the sun sets, even on a weekend. It could be possible that he just goes to the arcade or the library alone though; maybe he was uncomfortable with how crowded it has become? He only comes back to prepare dinner, and once that's done and he's eaten, he locks himself in his room. Based on what Giotto hears, the teen was probably playing video games.

"Maybe he hates me..." Luce sulked after they finished eating and Tsunayoshi once again went upstairs to lock himself in his room. So far, none of Luce's attempts to get close to the boy was working and it was really starting to affect her self-esteem. She had always been good with kids, whether they were toddlers or teens; her motherly aura attracted anyone and everyone.

"Now now, it's nothing you should be bothered about! I'm sure he'll come around, he's just really shy." Iemitsu's grin didn't really provide as much comfort as his words did but it was helping, at least. "Just give him time to adjust; he probably gets a bit nervous around crowds."

"He's right, Luce-san. You just should focus on the battle ahead instead of letting things like this bother you, you know. I'm sure things will work out just fine if we leave things be for the time being." Giotto added. He didn't mention that his father's statement was wrong, even when it had only been just the two of them during the first day; Tsunayoshi had not been much of a talker. But that wouldn't really help the situation; it would probably make his mentor even more dedicated to talk to the teen. For now, they needed to focus and avoid distractions.

"But he's your brother, Giotto-kun! I want to get along with him just as much as we did when you were his age." she pouted, making him sigh.

"Well, we may be brothers but we're not exactly alike, so you might want to try a different approach..."

"I suppose so..." she muttered.

She toned down on her attempts to get close to him after that and started focusing on strategizing for the upcoming battle. One thing had led to another and they had agreed to ally themselves with Team Colonello. Giotto didn't particularly mind, might as well, after all.

They were given watches; eight for each Arcobaleno, by a strange man that they had assumed was working for Checkerface. The color of their watches also represent the Arcobaleno their fighting for. Since Giotto and his friends were representing the Sky Arcobaleno, they had orange watches that had three different models. There were six 'battler watches', an 'arcobaleno watch' and a 'boss watch'. It was basically a last-man-standing battle, only there were a few rules;

1\. All teams will be informed half an hour before the battle will take place and each battle will be held within a time limit ranging from one to three hours. Fighting between the representatives outside of the battle hours will result in disqualification for both teams.

2\. All Arcobalenos must be gathered at a designated meeting spot while the battle is taking place. Failure to be present at said meeting spot by the time the battle starts will mean an automatic loss.

3\. All Arcobalenos will be accompanied by the representative they chose to hold their boss watch. These representatives may participate in the battle but it will be under the time limit of thirty minutes, the time limit for their participation will be removed when all other watches excluding the Arcobaleno watch has been destroyed.

4\. The destruction of either the boss watch or the Arcobaleno watch will mean the loss of the team.

5\. The Arcobalenos are forbidden to interfere with their representatives' battles and are only allowed to fight when they themselves are being threatened by an opponent, or in other words, if someone tries to destroy their Arcobaleno watch.

6\. Representatives holding a boss watch may not attack another representative, but should someone attack them in attempt to destroy their watch, they are allowed to fight but is still under the thirty-minute rule. Should the representative with the boss watch fail to defeat their opponent before the time limit, they are no longer allowed to fight back and doing so will result in disqualification.

7\. An exception to the thirty-minute rule would be if an Arcobaleno is attacked, the boss representative is allowed to defend the Arcobaleno they are representing without being restricted by any time limit.

They were simple rules, although a bit troublesome. It would mean that Luce, Colonello, Iemitsu and Giotto would not be allowed to fight for the most part. But the two arcobalenos would only trust them to bear such a responsibility. They had to make great adjustments with their plans, but it was nothing they couldn't handle.

They were informed of when the first day of the battles will begin, which they were very grateful for. It gave them time to prepare, although it was mostly done through information-gathering and a bit of training. It wasn't in vain since they found out lot of useful information that may prove to be useful in the future. For example, they found out that Giotto's best friend, Cozart had agreed to be the Cloud Arcobaleno, Skull's representative along with a few trusted members of their famiglia. For what reason, Giotto wasn't entirely sure but the redhead had mentioned something about his little brother, Enma, getting along fairly well with the daredevil.

They also found about about Fran, Mukuro's supposed apprentice, who had great potential in creating illusions and handling his mist flames despite his young age. I pin, Fon's apprentice, was chosen to be the holder of his boss watch instead of Dino. They had wondered why, at first, but figured since Fon only had two representatives, it _would_ have been best to have Dino on the offensive instead of a little girl. God knows why Fon let the child join in the first place.

There were also loopholes for Checkerface's rules. For example, the representatives don't necessarily have to be a human, which was proven by Viper after they discovered one of the Mist Arcobaleno's representative was a Gola Mosca.

They didn't bother looking into the so-called 'turf war' going on in Namimori since Alaude had assured them that his younger brother's Disciplinary Committee would handle it. Speaking of which, there was still no confirmation whether or not he will be participating but Alaude seemed very confident that he will. So they made sure to take him into account.

Although they agreed on an alliance, the two teams decided to split up during the battle. The only agreement was that they wouldn't target each other until they were the last two teams remaining, and if the other ever needed help, they would to help as much as they can. They had different strategies though, which both teams had decided not to share with the other.

For Team Luce, Giotto would not be participating, probably not any time soon, since he held the boss watch. Considering he was pretty much the ace, they were most likely going to have trouble but it helped knowing the other teams most likely chose their strongest to bear the boss watch, except for Fon, that is. So they didn't have to worry about people like Xanxus, Cozart, Mukuro or Iemitsu. That didn't make things any easier though, since the Varia has proven to be a tough opponent and the Bucking Horse was not someone to be taken lightly. But then again, neither were Giotto's guardians.

Daemon was chosen to be the one to handle Team Fon. If Alaude's little brother were to join, then they had no doubt the illusionist would be able to handle the teen. He was still, for the most part, a civilian despite his rumors of being involve in the yakuza and other shady business. He has had no direct confrontation with Flames, which would make it easy for Daemon to take him out using a few illusions. Based on what they know of his personality, he should go solo instead of sticking with Dino too, which will make him a better target. Once Hibari Kyouya was taken care of, Daemon would regroup with Asari to defeat Dino. The illusionist had assured them that he did not need any sort of help, but none of them wanted to take any chances. In any case, Asari would only be there to watch for the most part. He would serve as backup only if necessary since even he was not immune to Daemon's illusions and the man did tend to get carried away.

Lampo was a coward, which they all knew. And he outright refused any physical confrontations unless absolutely necessary. He was, however, skilled in infiltration and other such things. This allowed him to become quite skilled at hiding his presence from others, which helped since he was admittedly a coward and often took advantage of this ability. His role was currently to follow Team Skull. Despite being long-time friends, they had no idea about Simon's true strength since nothing ever occurred to provoke the small famiglia to bare their fangs. They had no doubt they were strong though, so Lampo would gather information on their members and once he does, then they would be able to deduce the best course of action.

Finally, G and Knuckles goals are Team Verde. The only real threat there was Mukuro, and although his subordinates have proven to hold potential, they don't stand a chance against two Vongola guardians with great control of their flames.

They were going to have to deal with the Varia on a later date, it was best if all the guardians were to deal with them with their combined strength. But there was still the possibility that they cross paths with them. So Alaude, another master of stealth, was tasked with following them. Their watches were designed with communication devices as well as tracking devices, Alaude was to report Varia's location to Giotto, who would be able to see their positions across Namimori with his boss watch. It would pretty much be improvisation from there, their goal is only to reduce the number of opponents they'll have to face and with Team Colonello on their side, and they should be able to manage.

Giotto was well-aware that things don't always go according to plan, inevitably _something_ will go wrong. Especially since they had no information about the Sun Arcobaleno, Reborn who was without a doubt the most troublesome one. It was probably the only thing the Arcobalenos agreed on, Luce said that Reborn had always been unpredictable and there was nothing they could do about it. So the blond didn't let it worry him too much, no use fretting. He was just gonna have to trust his guardians, which he does.

Everything will work out, it always does.

* * *

The most-awaited day arrived and Giotto found himself following his mentor through the forest beside Namimori. He wasn't exactly sure where they were going but Luce seemed pretty confident so he trusted that she knew her way. Soon enough, they could see a bright light from the distance and it led them to a clearing.

"Took you long enough, kora!"

"Hey there, son! Did you two get lost or something?"

"Well, you know, it does take some time to maneuver through the forest, and it hasn't been that long since the watches alarmed. We were all simply too early." Fon informed them from his position, seated on a boulder with a little girl hiding behind him, peeking at the strange people that arrived one by one.

"But still, you guys are the last to arrive." Cozart smirked. "That's unlike you, Giotto."

"I wasn't aware that there was a race to see who could arrive here first." the blond chuckled, looking around. Cozart and Iemitsu seemed to have been chatting prior to their arrival while Colonello had been bullying Skull. Xanxus must've had his men bring the chair (throne?) he was currently sitting on near the edge of the clearing with Viper serving him his wine. Finally Verde was staring at them with a blank look, Mukuro was standing not too far behind him, leaning against a tree and looking uninterested.

At the center of the clearing, there was a tall boulder where the man who worked for Checkerface- Onomichi, he had introduced himself as- currently stood.

"Well well, looks like we'll be able to start soon!" he smiled, creepily in Giotto's opinion. "Only 11 minutes and 6 seconds remaining before the battle starts!"

"Hm, now that I think about it, we're not technically the last one to arrive..." Luce commented, looking around. "Is that person still not here?"

"Nope, haven't heard from him either." Colonello shrugged.

"It's strange though." Verde muttered, although loud enough for them to hear. "I've been keeping an eye out for you lots lately and as far as I know, he's not even in Japan right now."

"Last I heard, he was in France just two weeks ago." Viper informed them.

"Yeah, the Ninth gave him a mission, right?" Colonello asked.

"That's strange..."

"Well, he's always been like that, don't you think?" Fon chuckled.

"But still... at a time like this?"

"Don't tell me you're worried, Luce?" Colonello snorted. "For that guy? You're just wasting your energy. He's more than capable of taking care of himself."

"Now that I think about it," Giotto turned to face his father. "I keep hearing about this 'Reborn' from Ninth, but I've never really met him before. What's he like?"

Iemitsu frowned, as if remembering something unpleasant before shrugging. "Well, we never really got along so I don't know that much about him but... He's definitely a man befitting the title of 'World's Greatest Hitman'."

That brought him more questions than answers; it took a lot for someone to be disliked by his father, especially when you're an ally of Vongola. Although Reborn was still an independent assassin, he signed a contract with Nono stating that he won't accept any jobs that harm anyone from their famiglia and will occasionally do jobs for them in exchange for protection and, of course, a generous pay so he was technically an ally, although not someone you should completely trust from what he's heard.

He couldn't help but think; just what kind of person was Reborn?

* * *

 **Hope you liked it ~ !**

 **Okay, I'm gonna be real honest with you guys. I started this off centering the whole perspective on Giotto and to be honest, I don't know why I did that because I could care less about that guy. I want me some Dark!TenthGen and some blood! :D So do you guys mind if in the future chappies, I just focus on the TenthGen? I know it's a bit strange to shift POV's and that it's inconsistent, but I'm honestly not happy with the way things are right now, it's so boring ~ not fun to write at all -3- So yeah, tell me what you guys think!**

 **REVIEWS:**

 **SoulFlames = Noted :/ I'm starting to get an idea from that... Thanks for the suggestion and the pleasant review~! :D**

 **Lovelydragonfly = I will, soon :3 But I won't just be focusing on Tsuna. Let's give his guardians some love too, ne? ;) Thank you for reviewing ~ !**


	4. First Day

**It's 3 AM in the morning but I really wanted to finish this so here ya go. :3 I didn't have time to proofread because I'm very tired so please bear with it, 4,449 words!**

 **Please enjoy ~ !**

* * *

7 minutes and 6 seconds before the battle starts yet there was still no sign of Reborn. Iemitsu was starting to feel uneasy, what was that man planning _now_? One of the first things you'll ever know about the Sun Arcobaleno is that he was very punctual to the point that the blond expected him to be the first person to arrive.

He was honestly starting to think that the Arcobaleno really had no intention of participating in the Representative Battle, but it wasn't like the hitman to just surrender to his fight. If Reborn was going down, then he would go down fighting. He wouldn't just silently accept his fate without at least trying to change it. That was just the kind of man he is; a stubborn perfectionist who never fails at getting what he wants.

But, if he ever did decide not to show up, then Iemitsu wasn't complaining. It would be best, since he knew that out of all the Arcobalenos, Reborn would be the most difficult opponent. He wasn't just strong, he was smart- a genius, and more skilled at manipulation than anyone Iemitsu has ever met. Having Reborn willingly back out without having to exert any effort would be a Godsend.

They've already had a plan of their own, but knowing Reborn he would've probably predicted everything and all their efforts would've been for nothing. It happens more often than not and it's becoming really annoying, not to mention just another thing to add to his list of reasons to despise the hitman.

But still, they didn't really know what to expect so having a plan to have some sense of control over the situation is better than charging into the battle with absolutely no clue on what to do. So using the information available to them due to being one of the most influential and powerful secret intelligence organizations in the whole world, he gathered intel on everyone participating on the battle. His son, although also holding a high position in the Vongola, doesn't share the same resources as he does. Not to mention the fact that he and his guardians don't really specialize in collecting information. So Iemitsu knew that they were at least a few steps ahead of Team Luce, although that didn't really matter since they were currently allies.

It wouldn't help to look down on their enemies, so they carefully deliberated on their course of action.

His son was predictable, so he knew that they would immediately aim to take out Team Verde. He knew that the three teens and Mukuro's young apprentice didn't stand a chance but just to be sure, he ordered Oregano to follow then just in case. The more taken out with less effort, the better. Lal, Basil and Tumeric were to aim for the Simon famiglia, they weren't going to try to take them all out at once, Iemitsu knew it was impossible in their current state. Not only were they outnumbered, but the Simon's flames held power that were probably on par with that of the Vongola rings. No, it was possible that they had some sort of formation and possibly a plan of their own, no matter how incompetent Skull seemed. So they were going to try to destroy that formation, lure one out and defeat them one-by-one. They had no plans of defeating a whole team yet, no need to rush after all.

"Places, people! We're about to start!" Onomichi announced. "Will the Arcobalenos please position themselves in front of the stones representing your flame!"

Glancing at the watch, Iemitsu saw that there was only a little over three minutes remaining before the battle starts.

"So he's really not coming, huh?" Colonello muttered before sighing.

At the center of the clearing there had been a large boulder. But as the time for the battle to start grew near, it started radiating a faint glow and became more akin to a large diamond that was carved beautifully with seven sides. Surrounding it were seven stones placed in front of each side that had also begun radiating a faint glow, a different color for each one. It was in the order of the colors of the rainbow, and they all approached their respective stone until only the one glowing yellow remained vacant.

"Well then, allow me to explain the mechanics further!" Onomichi clapped his hands cheerfully and above them, screens appeared from above the diamond Onomichi was standing on, showing a few representatives in various locations. "From here, we will all be watching the battles going on. Of course, to avoid sabotaging other teams, we can only see certain battlers. Those who are hiding their flame's presence to a certain point will not be shown."

After this, the 'bosses' immediately contacted their teammates to inform them of this new piece of information. The Arcobalenos, on the other hand, continued to silently listen. Then, screens appeared on the diamond, there was one on each side, facing every Arcobaleno.

"These will help you keep track of your teams. It will state how many representatives you have, how many you've lost, how many are remaining and how many watches you've destroyed."

"How convenient..." Viper muttered. No one questioned the extremely advanced technology that was being shown to them even in mafia standards, although Verde was a tad bit curious. But for now, there were more pressing matters that needs their attention.

"That is all, make sure to stick by the rules then!" Onomichi smiled that creepy smile of his which could most likely rival Mukuro or Daemon's. "Good luck to all of you and may the best team win!"

"Hmph, like the Varia would lose to anyone." Viper huffed.

"Now now, Viper. It would do you good not to underestimate your opponent." Fon chuckled before glancing at Giotto. "One of our opponents is your future boss, too."

"Muu, Vongola boss or not, when it comes down to it, our boss would never lose to anyone."

"Don't be too sure, kora." Colonello smirked.

"It's a shame, really." Luce sighed. "I didn't think it would come to a point that we'd have to turn against each other."

"No hard feelings." Fon smiled at her. "But I'm sure we all have our own reasons for fighting."

"None of us wants to die, after all..." Skull muttered.

"Well, no one except for him, it seems..." Verde sighed, finally speaking up.

They all stared at Reborn's spot for a moment.

"Well, I'm not complaining." Viper huffed. "That man was the only real threat, after all."

"Oi! What's that supposed to mean, kora?!"

"Don't underestimate me, Viper." Verde crossed his arms. "I won't lose to him, if you look down on me then I might aim on taking you down first."

The illusionist snorted. "Oh please, admit it. You're all relieved that that guy didn't show up too. He's a pain in the ass and we all know it."

There was a moment of silence as no one could deny the truth in Viper's statement. Even Luce, who actually believed that she got along well with the hitman, couldn't deny that the man was someone you didn't want as your opponent. Who knew what he'd have under his sleeve.

"Well, if that's the case, then I'm sorry to disappoint."

Heads whipped towards the direction of the new voice and they were met with the sight of a tall man in a crisp suit and fedora, walking calmly towards them.

"Reborn!" Luce cried out in surprise but before she, or anyone, could say anything else, Onomichi interrupted her just as Reborn stepped in front of the yellow stone.

"Battle, START!"

And with that, their watches beeped and the representatives on the screen; Dino, the Varia and Simon started making their move. The screens in front of them shifted as well, the zeroes being filled with the accurate number it should represent.

"That was really cutting it close, kora!"

"What took you so long, Reborn?" Luce asked.

"What? Haven't you heard that being on time is much better than being early?" he said, staring at the screen and not even sparing them a glance. This apparently pissed Colonello off and he started trying to pick a fight, which Luce and Fon tried to prevent. Reborn was really good at ignoring the blond though, so their attempts of alleviating his annoyance was futile.

Meanwhile, Giotto was staring at the last man to arrive. To any normal person, Reborn would've seemed like any normal civilian, probably a businessman from his attire. But he knew otherwise, he wasn't sure if it was due to his hyper intuition but he could just tell that the man was strong. It was like he was radiating a dangerous aura that would send a normal person running.

"Oi, where's your boss representative?" Viper suddenly asked, snapping the blond out of his thoughts as he suddenly realized that the hitman arrived alone.

"The rules said that the boss had to be in the designated meeting place at the time of battle, else it's an automatic disqualification." Verde's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"The designated meeting place is Namimori forest, not specifically this clearing. So as long as he's within the general area, then there shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"That's true, but are you sure it's alright for him not to be here? He wouldn't have a visual on the his opponents, only the boss watch has a communication device that allows the holder to communicate with the other battlers, y'know?"

"It's fine."

Almost everyone looked suspicious, but then again you couldn't blame them. But for the moment, they decided to let it slide and focus on the current battle.

The Varia were currently hunting down their opponents in a completely upfront way, which is to be expected of them, while the Simon famiglia were on standby. It looks like they were waiting for their opponents to come to them, they seem to be very confident in their abilities. But what caught their attention was Daemon, going against Dino. The blond was holding off against the illusionist quite well, actually pushing Daemon against a corner and troubling him to see that his illusions weren't so effective.

"That's pretty impressive, to fight off against illusions of that level..." Viper commented.

Fon chuckled. "He's the head of the third most powerful famiglia, it's only to be expected."

Reborn snorted. "Well, putting that aside, he _was_ my student. If he couldn't even handle something like that then I would have to _reeducate_ him."

"As strict as ever, huh?" Colonello chuckled.

Giotto didn't pay much attention to the conversation going on as he was to busy checking up on his guardians. It looked like stalking to gain information will prove to be unnecessary so he quickly ordered Alaude to back up Daemon, even if the two didn't always get along they could be trusted to at least cooperate with each other long enough to get the job done. It didn't seem fair to gang up on a single person, so Alaude will also only provide help if necessary. He gave the same order to Lampo, only he sent the teen to fight Team Verde. Just in case he miscalculated and Mukuro's apprentice was much stronger than he thought, it would be best with more people there. 3 on 4 was better than 2 on 4, anyways.

From the looks of it, the Varia and the Simon famiglia were going to have a face-off and it would be best not to get pointlessly involved for now.

Then, something unexpected happened.

"Oh? Is there a magic show going on?"

Dino and Daemon looked up from their current fight in surprise, not expecting someone's interference. A tall teen with spiky black hair looking at them with amusement and wonder. He looked disturbingly familiar in Daemon's opinion and was wearing a baseball cap, a jacket to protect himself from the chilly air of the night and had a baseball bat strapped on his bat while one hand was held a baseball. From the first glance, he was obviously a civilian.

The fact that the teen suddenly laughed only shocked them even more. "That looks really fun! Are you guys rehearsing for a play or something?"

He most likely made that statement based on Daemon's strange sense of fashion matched with the scythe he was holding along with Dino's whip. The two of them didn't quite know how to react, so they just stared at the teen until someone cried out.

"Takeshi!" Asari rushed towards his brother, seemingly popping out of nowhere, much to Dino's shock.

"Ah, Nii-chan! Are you a part of the play too?" 'Takeshi' asked nonchalantly, casually approaching his brother who had stopped a few meters away from his brother when he realized that he had just given himself away.

"What are you doing here, Takeshi? You need to go home right now." Asari spoke in a serious tone that was quite rare, it amused Daemon greatly.

* * *

"Tsk, I hate it when civilians get involved." Viper muttered.

"What's that brat doing out so late, anyway? it's almost 11 PM." Verde frowned.

"Well, from what Asari-kun has told me, Takeshi-kun is an avid baseball player so maybe he lost track of time while practicing?" Luce suggested.

"Oi, you should take measures on making sure civilians don't get in the way here!" Skull complained, but Onomichi only tilted his head to the side, as if confused.

* * *

Alaude swiftly made his way to his fellow guardians' location. What he found strange though was that he could sense Daemon's Mist flames clearly a moment ago, but now it had completely disappeared. Had the illusionist lost to the Bucking Bronco? Well, he wouldn't really be surprised if he had...

But once he arrived, he found that the Mist guardian was, for the most part, uninjured and so was Bronco. He'd be surprised at this if he wasn't so preoccupied with the sight of Asari speaking with a boy that looked a bit like him. Was that his brother?

Well, it was none of his busi-

Alaude's eyes widened.

"Yamamoto Asari! Get back!"

Asari almost jumped at the sudden outburst and whipped his head around to look at Alaude, clearly confused.

"Wha- ?"

 **SMASH!**

Asari felt a searing pain in his wrist- did he just break it? After getting over the initial shock at the sudden pain that hadn't completely disappeared, he checked it to see if he was injured to badly. But instead, his eyes widened to see his battler watch completely destroyed.

"Huh?" He blinked, clearly confused. What just happened?!

Daemon and Dino were equally as shocked.

"What the hell?" Dino gripped his whip tighter.

Takeshi stood there, his baseball bat on one hand, the smile on his face remained although something in his eyes changed.

"Ah, sorry!" Takeshi said, putting a hand on his brother's shoulder. "The blond guy surprised me and my hand slipped..."

* * *

"Bullshit." Xanxus scoffed, seeming to be more interested at the current events. No one could really argue with that though.

* * *

"Don't trust him." Alaude ordered. "He's an enemy."

"We can see that, blondie." Daemon snorted. "He just broke our Rain's wrist."

"But why?" Dino asked, still confused.

"Look at his wrist."

"Oh? So you noticed?" Takeshi raised his fist, giving them a clear view of his arm but something was peeking out of his sleeve although they couldn't quite make out what it was. "I guess I got a bit too careless, huh?"

His other hand dropped the baseball bat he was holding and he used it to tug on his sleeve, revealing a yellow wristwatch.

"That's..." Dino's eyes widened.

* * *

"Yellow...?" Luce's eyes snapped towards the wielder of the Yellow Pacifier, whose representative had just defeated hers.

Reborn only looked at her from the corner of his eye, smirking.

"Reborn! What is the meaning of this?!" she demanded.

"Whatever do you mean, Luce?"

"Explain yourself!"

"Explain what?" he raised an eyebrow. "He has one of my watches, so he's one of my representative. What more do you need?"

"Muu, I didn't think you'd be the type to get civilians involved in a personal battle, Reborn."

"That's right! What were you thinking?!" Luce really wanted to scold him at that point, but she didn't get a chance to when Fon intervened.

"Is he really, though? A civilian, I mean?"

Luce looked a bit surprised at the question, enough that she was rendered speechless.

"Of course, he is. He's been living an ordinary life with his father up until this point!" Giotto had spoken for her.

Xanxus snorted, gaining the attention of everyone. "He may have been living with his old man but that brat's no civilian."

Needless to say, a few confused looks were thrown his way but he felt no need to explain his words. Thankfully, Fon took that responsibility.

"His killing intent..." he said. "He was able to hide it, even from Dino. Even if they're not aiming to kill, a mafioso like Dino or even the Vongola's guardians would've immediately detected if someone meant them harm. It's a basic skill, after all."

* * *

"Nufufu, I didn't realize that I let my guard down." Despite his smirk, Daemon looked troubled just thinking about what would've happened if Alaude hadn't arrived. It looked like he owed him one...

"He had such a carefree smile that I didn't suspect him at all." Dino commented.

"That's the type of skill that's mostly common among assassins." Alaude added. "I wonder what would've happened if I hadn't arrived."

Takeshi laughed, stepping away from his injured brother. "Well, I _was_ going to take out three of you in one go, but nevermind!"

His eyes turned serious and he grabbed his basketball bat. "I guess it's better to be upfront than to do a surprise attack after all."

"Hmph, you're getting cheeky, _brat._ " Alaude pulled out his handcuffs, smirking.

"Ah, sorry. Alaude, was it?" Takeshi grinned. "Sorry, but my only targets are my brother, Dino and Daemon. I haven't been given any orders to fight you."

He raised an eyebrow at this. "Oh? And you think I'm just going to sit back and watch?"

"Hahaha, of course not! I'm sure you're going to be really preoccupied while we're fighting."

Alaude frowned, but before he could even question what he meant, he sensed a large amount of killing intent nearby and dodged just in time as something swiped the spot where his head was with enough force to give him a concussion at the very _least_.

"The hell?"

"Hn, not bad..."

Alaude's eyes widened in both shock and realization, he knew that voice.

He found himself face-to-face with his younger brother, smirking and wearing a yellow wristwatch.

"Let's see if Italy's done you any good, herbivore."

* * *

M.M. was knocked down, she was going to get back up until she realized that her battle watch had been broken. She cursed before glaring at the two Vongola guardians who were currently fighting Chikusa and Ken.

"Hey, brat! Why don't you make yourself useful and help out?!" she demanded but Fran remained as emotionless as always.

"No way, why do I have to?"

"At this rate we're gonna lose at the very first day, brat!"

BOOM!

"What now?!" M.M. complained.

"Something just exploded." Fran said.

"Did you do that?!"

"No... that's not an illusion."

Smoke filled the air, so M.M. was more than a little relieved when Ken and Chikusa staggered into view.

"Hey! Are you guys okay?!"

"Yeah... And quit your shouting! You're gonna make me deaf!" Ken complained.

"I'm fine as well, but..." Chikusa raised a fist to show them his destroyed battle watch.

"What?!" M.M. and Ken cried out.

"Their Sun Guardian was too quick, I wasn't able to dodge him."

"So it wasn't because of the explosion?" Fran asked.

"That's not the issue here!"

"What was that about anyway?" Fran ignored her. "They were winning anyway, so what was the point of making an explosion?"

"... Now that I think about it, he has a point." Ken said, glancing at the smoke that still hasn't disappeared. "What's the big deal? I heard Vongola was really flashy but..."

"That's because it wasn't Vongola, morons." an unfamiliar voice spoke up, coming from the smoke.

Knuckle and G kept coughing, it took a while before they can regain their composure and when they did, G was pissed.

"What the hell?! Who did that?!"

"That would be us TO THE EXTREME!"

"Pipe down, idiot!"

The smoke cleared and G almost broke his bow in half while Knuckle only stared at the two teens in front of them wearing yellow battle watches.

* * *

"Reborn..." Luce was seething, and Giotto wasn't any better.

"Yes?"

" ** _What are you planning_**?" her tone made everyone- except Giotto who was just as upset- back away a bit. She may be sweet and understanding most of the time, but she was not someone you wanted to anger.

She didn't like it, and she knew that Giotto would definitely agree with her. Reborn had taken her students' family members and made them fight against each other. Their relationships were already a bit shaky to begin with, the hitman was making it worse! Not to mention the fact that they had been trying to keep the teens away from the mafia and yet Reborn was dragging them into it by choosing them as his representatives! It was unforgivable.

"I plan on winning." Reborn stated simply before smirking. "If you want to stop me then go ahead and try."

* * *

Meanwhile, the Varia and the Simon were toe-to-toe with each other. So far, only Lussuria, Kaoru and Rauji's watches has been destroyed. The Varia has yet to sustain any losses, but in terms of physical condition, both sides aren't doing so well.

"Tsk, stubborn scum..." Squalo muttered.

Adelheid frowned, analyzing the situation before looking back at her teammates. "We need to retreat. Get away while I take care of them!"

"Shishishi, you think we'll let you leave?" Bel asked, drawing his knives once more.

"We're going to eliminate you, that's the boss' orders!" Levi said before charging towards them, grabbing his parabolas to attack them again.

 **CRACK!**

Squalo's eyes widened when he saw Levi's watch explode into pieces.

What the hell?!

Bel yelled. "What the hell, Levi?! You useless geezer, you broke your own watch!"

Squalo's quick eyes caught what really happened though, Levi didn't do anything. The gears in his head turned and he quickly put the two on two together, it looks like Adel had done the same because they both yelled out a single order at the same time.

"Take cover!"

Years of being trained to follow orders first before asking questions kicked in immediately and everyone was scattering. A few of them suddenly found fresh cuts on their bodies that stung, and none of them remembered getting them.

"What the hell's going on?!" Koyo and Bel demanded.

"It' a sniper!" their leaders answered.

Adel scanned her teammates and was more than a little upset to find Shitt P.'s watch destroyed from the sniper. They lost three people on the first day alone.

"Where the hell is it coming from?!" Squalo asked looking around, frustrated because it was usually fairly easy for him to spot a sniper's location. Why couldn't he find this one?!

* * *

The Arcobalenos watched the fight between the two groups and as Levi and Shitt P's watches were broken, the number on the 'Watches Destroyed' category on Reborn's screen went up.

"A sniper? Really, kora?!"

"You would've done the same if you'd been allowed to fight, so don't complain." Reborn snorted. "Besides, it's more efficient this way."

"You're really playing dirty, aren't you?" Fon muttered.

"Are you that desperate to win?" Verde asked.

"Desperate?" Reborn raised an eyebrow. "Not really, but I have my reasons for using such methods."

"Reasons or not, this is unforgivable." Reborn turned around to see the Vongola heir marching towards him in Hyper Dying Will Mode. "What did you do to my guardians' families?!"

Because there was no way they would've agreed to do something like this on their own volition. He may have never met them before, but he just knew. They wouldn't just agree to fight out of nowhere, even Alaude's brother wasn't like that. Yes, Reborn must've done something. He had always been told that the man had no qualms in threatening or manipulating people to do his bidding. His guardians had worked hard to ensure the safety of their families, and yet because of Reborn it may be all for naught.

"Giotto, don't! You can't win-" Cozart wasn't able to finish his sentence as Giotto already charged towards the hitman who only remained calm.

"Giotto!" Luce cried out.

* * *

His head hurt.

Giotto wondered what he could've done this time to deserve this headache. Did his guardian cause trouble again? Did he pass out after forgetting to eat because of all the paperwork he has to deal with.

After a few minutes, memories flooded back to him.

Oh right, he attacked the world's greatest hitman.

Was he dead?

"... to. Are you okay?! Giotto!"

Was that...?

Giotto slowly opened his eyes and he was greeted by the image of his worried friend.

"Cozart?"

"You almost passed out there."

"What hit me...?"

Cozart suddenly frowned, his lips pulled back in a taut line. "Guess."

Giotto got up in a sitting position, looking around, he saw the reason why Cozart was so tense. Everyone else was too, and it was because of the teen wielding Reborn's boss watch.

"Tsunayoshi...?" he asked, eyes widening. Deep down inside, he wondered why he was so shocked.

* * *

 **I hope you liked it although it was still boring, I don't think it was as boring as the last few chappies! :D**

 **YES! Tsuna's POV next~! :3 I wanted it to be solely Tsuna's POV but it would have some scenes with Giotto and the others. I was supposed to put those scenes here, but I'm tired and I can't write any longer. I want to lay down and sleep -_- I'll SURELY get it done tomorrow. PROMISE!**

 **If there are any grammar mistakes, please don't hesitate to tell me, I am not in the right mind to be writing. I know it's a bit rushed at the end but who even cares anymore, right?! You guys get the gist of it... -_- I think this chappie's pretty lame too, I just want to skip all of it and get right into the ANGST :D**

 **BE TELLING ME I HAVE 16 REVIEWS BUT I SEE 8, WTF I MODERATED A FEW REVIEWS TOO WHY CAN'T I VIEW THEM NOW I CAN'T ANSWER THEM**

 **Sorry if I can't answer your reviews in the last chappie, I hope you understand QAQ I don't know why it won't show me. It just won't! If you guys know what the fuck is going on then please tell me! By PM, because I can't see the reviews T^T**

 **I think I cursed a lot in this chappie... Oh well, I warned you in the summary didn't I? :3**

 **Please Review ~ !**

 **~ RnR ~ !**

 **~ RnR ~ !**


	5. Thought I Couldn't Hate You, I Was Wrong

**YAS! FINALLY A TSUNA CHAPPIE**

 **OK, so technically I posted this on Monday, 3 AM and NOT Sunday evening. So yeah, it is Tuesday, 8:30 right now so I technically I kept my promise :3 I think this chappie's shorted than the usual ones though**

 **NO MORE WORDS, OTHER THAN THE 3,173 IN THIS ONE THAT DOESN'T INCLUED A/N**

 **ON WITH THE CHAPPIE!**

* * *

The bright yellow wristwatch stood out, contrasting the black hoodie he was wearing. But that wasn't even the most shocking part.

It was the flame in his forehead.

"Hyper Dying Will Mode?" Cozart asked. "I didn't know you trained your little brother to use such a skill."

"... We didn't." Giotto glared at Reborn. "So he got Tsunayoshi too, huh?"

"Bastard! What did you do to my son?!" Iemitsu demanded, Colonello just barely managed to hold him back. It wouldn't do them any good to attack the man before they can get any answers.

 **RING!**

Everyone flinched from the ear-piercing noise that made them think they would go deaf. Onomichi, who jumped from his spot on the diamond screens, immediately regained their attention.

"And that concludes today's battle!" he announced. Now, all representatives and Arcobalenos are no longer allowed to fight against or attack other teams or else they would be disqualified!"

"Tsk." Iemitsu glared at the hitman.

"Hmph, this is getting interesting..." Xanxus smirked, getting up from his seat(throne).

"B-boss?"

"Let's go, trash! We have no reason to be here anymore."

"U-Understood!" Viper said, hurrying to follow the Varia leader.

"It would be best if we got back as well." Verde sighed. "It looks like you need to discipline that student of yours."

"Kufufu, I'll have a good talk with the brat." Mukuro looked thoroughly annoyed.

Fon silently left, I pin following him with the same grace as her master. Skull wanted to leave as well, but Cozart refused to leave Giotto alone, who was still glaring at the Sun Arcobaleno.

 _"M... er. Is ev- ... ster?!"_

It was only then did the blond notice his watch transmitting a message.

"Basil? Is everything alright?" he asked.

"Master! I've been trying to contact you for a while now... Did something happen?!"

"Well, you could say that..."

"In any case, I have terrible news!" it was only then that Iemitsu picked up on his apprentice's desperate tone. "Oregano-dono and Tumeric-dono have been defeated!"

"What?! What happened?!" Iemitsu demanded. Colonello's eyes widened at this revelation and whipped his head to his screen.

 _ **Representatives: 5**_

 _ **Representatives Defeated: 2**_

 _ **Representatives Remaining: 3**_

 _ **Opponents Defeated: 0**_

"What the hell, kora?! I just looked away for a second..."

"Who defeated them?!" Iemitsu asked.

"Guess."

Of course. Iemitsu glared. This guy looked like he was in the mood to piss a lot of people off.

The others glanced at the Sun Arcobaleno's screen.

 _ **Representatives: 7**_

 _ **Representatives Defeated: 0**_

 _ **Representatives Remaining: 0**_

 _ **Opponents Defeated: 5**_

"Already ahead of the game, huh?" Verde muttered.

"Muu, it would've been better if he hadn't showed up." Viper scowled.

"Well then, since the battle's over, we'll be taking our leave then." Reborn calmly walked away.

"Tsunayoshi has been living with us these past few weeks... We thought he was just a civilian so we let our guard down, kora." Colonello spoke up. "But in reality, he was a spy, wasn't he?"

"Hm? Isn't it obvious?" Reborn smirked. "It's your fault, you should've known better."

"Tsk, you used the information Tsunayoshi gathered to ambush us..." Colonello scowled.

"Of course, that's a hitman's way of doing things, after all."

"I don't care about that!" Luce snapped. "I already expected you to be able to take the lead from the first day, it's just what anyone would've expected from you. But what I can't forgive is that you dragged my students' families into this!"

"The Vongola worked hard to ensure that those children live a normal life away from the mafia because my students wanted to protect them! You're well aware of the type of world we live in and the possible consequences of dragging them into this battle. You're putting them in danger and I can't forgive you for that!"

Nobody said a thing after Luce's outburst, everyone knew how fearsome the Sky Arcobaleno can be when she got serious. They were all worried that the two Arcobalenos could end up fighting, and that was bad not only because of the possible disqualification but also the aftermath that would result from a battle between two of the strongest arcobaleno.

"... Protect them?" Reborn asked before snorting. "What a _joke_."

"What?!"

"Luce-san... was it?" Tsunayoshi finally spoke up, the flame on his forehead dissolving into nothing. "I... I think you're misunderstanding something."

"Eh?" she looked confused.

"Re... I wasn't dragged into this, none of us were." he explained. "We volunteered to be his representatives."

"Eh?! What are you saying?!"

"Tsunayoshi, do you realize what you've gotten yourself into?! Why would you do something like this?" Giotto asked.

"Simple." Tsunayoshi stared into his eyes and he faltered for a moment.

Had his brother's eyes always been so dull and lifeless?

"It's because I want to defeat you, along with everyone else." Those eyes suddenly held determination and... anger? Giotto wasn't sure but he was too shocked by what his brother had said. "We _will_ win this battle, so it might be in your best interest not to underestimate us."

Reborn's smirk widened. "Well said."

The elder sibling was speechless.

Was his brother... mad at him? Why did Tsunayoshi want to defeat them? And to the point that he'll work with Reborn of all people.

What happened to his brother while he was in Italy?

"Volunteered... What were you thinking, Tsunayoshi?!" Iemitsu asked. "Why are you even getting involved with that man?! Do you have any idea who he is?!"

"Yes." was the simple reply. "More than you, actually."

Needless to say, it was not what they expected. But from that statement, Giotto suddenly realized something.

"You were in Hyper Dying Will Mode just now... And yet you don't look even look like you're tired. That technique makes you feel like your body's breaking but you're acting unaffected by the side effect. Almost like you're used to it, not to mention the fact that you seem to have good control over your flames." the blond observed, even if it was only for a moment, that didn't slip his notice. His brother's flames were strong, yet he was able to perfectly mask it earlier. "Someone probably taught you to utilize it..."

"That would be me, as you've probably figured out." Reborn crossed his arms, his expression made it seem as if he was looking down on them. "Since you've been busy with the Vongola and this whole fiasco, you've probably haven't had the chance to talk to Tsunayoshi properly so I won't be surprised if he forgot to mention it... Currently, he is my student."

Iemitsu's eyes narrowed. "Student? What are you teaching him exactly?!"

"To become an assassin, of course." Reborn's eyes held amusement while Iemitsu's held anger. "Not only him, but the rest of my representatives as well. They all have great potential, you know."

"Reborn!" Luce snapped. "They're still so young! And they've done nothing wrong... Don't drag the innocent into our world, you know how unforgiving the mafia is. _Please_ , they shouldn't have to go through that!"

Reborn was no longer smirking and he looked away, seemingly pondering over something with a serious look.

"Yeah, they really shouldn't... But then again, when is life ever fair?" he snorted before walking away. "Let's go."

"Okay." Tsuna nodded.

"Tsu-"

"If you want to stop us then go ahead and try." Reborn deadpanned. "I don't mind seeing you get disqualified."

With that, they had no choice but to let them go.

* * *

Sawada Tsunayoshi was a useless child.

He had grown up believing this.

When he was young, he would always hear about how smart, talented and amazing his brother was. Ieyasu was apparently a genius and their father's boss saw great potential in him and offered to take the boy to Italy to study since 'it would be a waste of great talent'. Nana was ecstatic, and even though she would definitely miss her little boy, she was willing to part with him if it's for the sake of his future. Luckily, she wouldn't have to spend those years all along because the year after Ieyasu moved to Italy, her little angel was born.

Tsunayoshi was nothing like her brother or father, their gravity-defying hair was the only thing he and Ieyasu had in common. Whereas the elder was supposedly a talented genius who deserved a scholarship in Italy, Tsuna was struggling in school. It didn't help that almost the entire neighborhood knew how _amazing_ his brother was. So they held high expectations for him. And no matter how hard he tried, he always failed to please them.

Tsuna had a hard time paying attention in classes, he tried but everything the teacher said just sounded like gibberish to him. He really tried to do his best, but no one was willing to help him out, expecting him to adapt quickly and be a fast-learner like his brother. His shortcomings were seen as laziness, people believed that he wasn't trying hard enough just because he wasn't as good as they remember his brother had been.

It didn't help that he was no good at sports or anything athletic, either; he was clumsy and had a petite, frail body. So that made it hard for him to play with the other kids because whenever they did, the team Tsuna was on will always lose. So the other kids stopped wanting to play with him and some even started making fun of him. Their hurtful words really affected the young boy but there was nothing he could do. He was weaker compared to the big boys who bullied him so it wasn't like he could defend himself. He tried telling his mom but she brushed it off as children having trouble expressing themselves.

Everyday he would hear his teacher's criticism, the disappointed looks and harsh words they gave him made Tsuna lose his trust on the adults of his school. Because somehow, without even trying, he knew he couldn't trust them to help him with his problems; whether it was with studies or the bullies, they didn't care. They just wanted his performance in school to improve. So everyday he dealt with the harsh treatment of students and teachers alike. And then he would go home and listen to his mother go on about his brother's achievements which she heard from the father who was rarely even home.

He couldn't hate his brother, even if he wasn't close to him and has only met him once or twice they were still brothers. It wasn't Ieyasu's fault that Tsuna wasn't as talented as he was. His mother always said that the blond was a wonderful child too, so Tsuna knew if given the chance, they would've definitely gotten along well. He often wished that Ieyasu had never gone to Italy and stayed at their home. Then Tsuna would have someone to play with, someone to teach him and help him with his homework, someone to talk to if he ever felt lonely and someone who he could run to if the bullies ever bothered him.

Was he being selfish?

But despite how hurt he often was from being compared to his brother all the time, he loved his brother dearly and idolized him. He often wished to grow out of being 'Dame-Tsuna' as the bullies often called him and become more capable so he can join his brother in Italy.

Maybe then, he can make his Mama proud.

His Mama who always comforted him, was there for him and always there to make all the pain go away whenever he got hurt playing or got bullied again. Even though she brushed it off as something caused by his clumsiness, she never failed to make things better. His Mama who was the only one who was there for him, because both his brother and his father were away in some faraway land while he was left in Namimori with no friends. His Mama who would always greet him with a bright smile everyday, unlike the cold looks he got at school everyday. His Mama who loved both of her sons dearly, more than her own life, but not entirely equally. His Mama who always looked so happy and excited whenever she was talking about Ieyasu and how proud she was of him. His Mama who always told him to do his best and tried _so hard_ to hide her disappointment whenever he shows her a test he failed even though he studied really hard for it. His Mama who always tried to be considerate of his feelings and made him feel loved to the best of her abilities but it was pointless most of the time. Because even though he was still just a child, he could see right through her; see all her sadness from missing her firstborn, see all her disappointment because he wasn't as talented as they expected him to be, see all the guilt caused by the occasional thoughts of whether or not her younger child's physical and academic struggles were somehow _her_ fault, if she somehow did something wrong in raising him to cause him to end up this way.

And it hurt, Tsuna would often think when he sees those emotions in his Mama's eyes. Because it wasn't _her_ fault, but then again, was it his? Was it his fault that he struggled to understand the most basic material? Was it his fault that his body was weaker than most kids' his age? Was it his fault that people held high- much too high- standards for him?

It also hurt because he _knew_ her mother missed his older brother more than she should because whenever he looked at him, she always saw Ieyasu. She couldn't help but compare them, and he _knew_ she always did it even if she didn't say anything. It hurt because he loved his Mama but he always caused her more pain for being a disappointment. It hurt because he knew that even if he tried his best, which he always did, he was never _good enough_ in his mother's eyes, or in anyone's eyes for that matter.

It hurt, but he could never bring himself to hate his mother or his brother. Because Tsuna loved them both dearly, they were his family.

But things change.

 **Blood.**

 **Intruders.**

 **His Mama, lying on the floor unconscious.**

 **A gun lying on the floor.**

 **The sound of his desperate cries echoing in their home.**

 **A gunshot.**

 **Fear.**

 **A tall man clad in black.**

 **Piercing black eyes staring his wide and fearful ones, filled with tears.**

It was funny how you can only feel pain from people who are supposed to provide comfort and then find comfort in the most unlikeliest place.

Tsuna clenched his fists at the memory of what had just transpired. Luce said that his brother had wanted to protect him, along with the rest of his friends. He chuckled humorlessly.

"What's so funny?" Reborn raised an eyebrow at his student.

"Nothing, it's just that... That woman was a bit naive, wasn't she?"

The man blinked before smirking. "You were like that when I first met you, you know."

"I was _seven_." Tsuna glared at him.

Reborn chuckled. "And look at you now... Although you still have a lot to learn. You're still weak, compared to me."

"Compared to _you_. But I'm still strong you know." the brunet muttered, looking at his hand, feeling his flames from underneath his skin. It's been a while since he's fought, he wanted to let loose and let his flames _burn_ and to just feel free. "At the very least, I'm strong enough to beat my brother..."

It sounded like a bold statement, but Reborn has known the brunet for almost a _decade_. So he knew him better than most and heard the hesitance underlying in the boy's tone which most would have missed. He was asking for confirmation, approval from his teacher and Reborn smiled at him before ruffling his head.

"Of course you are."

Tsuna smiled back at him, eyes becoming bright with determination. "Yeah, I'll win for sure!"

"You better."

Tsuna's mood brightened a bit and he felt determined. He wouldn't let that woman get to his head, after all what did she know? Nothing.

There may have been a time when he loved his brother with all his heart, but that was long gone. Now, Tsuna hated his brother with every fiber of his being. And he was determined to win this battle, no matter what it takes.

To surpass his brother, to protect the friends whom he held dear and to repay his savior for everything the man has ever done to him.

Tsuna will win and he wasn't going to let anyone get in his way.

He was not going to lose anything or anyone anymore, especially not to his oh-so-perfect _brother_. He's lived the perfect life so far, it was about time he _really_ knew just how harsh and bloody the mafia was. Despite living in Italy where the Vongola's base was located, Tsuna found out that his brother was rather... sheltered. He only dealt with formal affairs and rarely went into battle. Upon finding out, Tsuna knew that things such as fighting and improvising strategies on the spot were his domain. He wasn't as innocent and normal as they thought, in terms of experience, he's stepped on far more battlefields than Ieyasu ever has.

Plus, he has the world's greatest hitman as his teacher. How could he ever hope to surpass Reborn if he couldn't even beat a spoiled Mafia Boss?

Reborn couldn't help but smirk at the killing intent his student was unconsciously emitting. Tsuna looked like he was ready to kill. And it didn't seem to matter if he was facing his own flesh and blood, Tsuna wasn't going to let anyone stop him. That was what Reborn has taught him, after all.

He felt so proud.

Reborn has made a lot of reckless choices in his life, but he was particularly glad that he decided to take in that young seven-year old boy as a student. It may have caused him a lot of trouble and he got a lot more than he bargained for, but he was glad.

He never would've thought that he would end up relying on his No-good student though. Oh well, that's life.

* * *

 **It was so fun writing about Tsu-kun~! Finally! I got to write about him :D But it's still not much... I was honestly tempted to write Tsuna's whole backstory on this chapter but then I thought... Nah XD Let the readers wonder ;)**

 **I can't read the reviews! QAQ Does this happen to other writers?! In any case, I think I will post the next update on a separate story because I LIVE off of reviews and it's driving me CRAZY that I can't read yours... T^T I'll update you guys on the next chappie, but if you know WTF is going on then please inform me through PM so I can view your reviews. It's killing me that I can't read it! It says by the summary that I have 26 but I can only view 8... Can YOU guys view the other reviews? PM me if you can!**

 **Sorry I can't reply to your lovely reviews... But I really appreciate it! :D I manage to see a few of the guest reviews before I moderate them but after that they just disappear QAQ So I just want to thank you all for your support!**

 **Please review ~ ! (The number is at least comforting ^_^)**

 **~ RnR ~ !**

 **~ RnR ~ !**


	6. Thanks for the Support!

**Yeah, so I noticed this has a few errors other than it being pretty boring so since that bothers the hell out of me, I'll be continuing this series in another fic, 'Hiding in the Shadows'.**

 **The Review section is fixed, BTW :D So I'll be replying to all your lovely reviews now~**

 **CHAPTER THREE:**

Winterlove6 - **Yes, it would, wouldn't it? T^T I'll be focusing on that now ~ Please go check out my new story which is basically the same as this one except it focuses on the TenthGen ~ :D**

Capral90 - **Let's hope it will, dear prophet :3 I hope for your continued support and that you still love this story even thought I don't :/ That's why I made another one...**

 **Kristina M.P \- So glad you liked it! :D I'm sorry if I often make you wait QAQ But I hope you're still enjoying it :D**

r **\- I want to write some more about them too ~ good thing I managed to put them in the 4th chapter so hopefully you weren't so disappointed ;)**

lovleydragonfly **\- YES, I WILL :D I'LL TRY TO UPDATE MORE FREQUENTLY TOO ~**

farronewp **\- I'm so glad you liked it ~ :D I hope you support the continuation of this too, I'm sure you'll like it better. Only slightly though...**

Guest (1) **\- Sorry to disappoint . I ran out of time and I thought that the chapter was already so long so it would be best to put it in the next chapter :3**

Guest (2) **\- so so so SO SORRY about that QAQ But I'm glad you still liked it ~ :D**

RensaSora **\- Yes. Yes, he is ^_^ I'm not that good at foreshadowing, am I? OTL**

Guest (3) **\- OMG, THANK YOU :D Don't worry, it will ~ ^_^**

 **CHAPTER FOUR:**

farronewp **\- OMG, I'm so sorry for making you wait XD I'm glad you liked it ~ Or at least I think you did :/**

lovleydragonfly **\- ... I'm gonna jump the gun over here and assume that you liked the chappie and that makes me happy! :D You have become one of my favorite readers, not only because you review often but because you have a nice profile pic :3 So cute ~**

Guest **\- Hehe, glad you liked it ~ ! :D**

Ruevedette **\- right you are ~ XD Glad you liked it~ And I hope I didn't make you wait to long for an update :3 Can't really remember...**

Mikhail **\- AW~ I'm so glad you liked it ! :D Thank you for the compliments that helped me regain my self-esteem as a writer :D**

manjamanja96 **\- Thank you! I'm glad you liked it :D**

Cahannie **\- Aw, thank you! I'm so relieved that some people still found this entertaining :D Hang in there because the feels are coming! ;)**

Isupportanimeforlife **\- First of all, your username says it all. You're the type of person who has their priorities straight ;) Thank you for reviewing ! I'm sure you're not the only one happy to finally see Tsuna :3**

Cafuchi **\- YAS ~ ! :D**

 **CHAPTER FIVE:**

Guest (1)- **I'm so happy that you do! ^_^ You mean reviews? Well, to be honest in the past I didn't. I always thought that the amount of time I spent replying to reviews could've been spent writing the next chapter and it could've been uploaded sooner which I thought you guys would appreciate more :O I never did read the A/N in the past and I always got upset when the A/N is longer than the actual story because the author replied to every single review and the story was so popular so there was a lot of them -_- But now I decided to try replying to reviews since I really appreciate it! :D There's not that many anyway, so yeah! I appreciate your reviews and even if the number of reviews every chapter grows, I'll do my best to answer all of them! :D**

Guest (2) - **OH GOD, YOU'RE MAKING ME BLUSH I COULD DIE FROM HAPPINESS FROM THAT COMPLIMENT THANK YOU SO MUCH O/O**

Rin Naoki - **Did it? What do you think? ;)**

Dynamic Sky **\- I'M SO HAPPY :D MY POOR KNOWLEDGE OF EMOTICONS IS NOT ENOUGH TO EXPRESS THE SHEER JOY I'M EXPERIENCING, I'm so glad you liked it! ^_^**

 **TO ALL MY READERS WHO REVIEWED:**

 **Thank you so much for your support! :D It's nice to know that you guys liked it and also all your thoughts! I'm glad that despite the fact that I feel a bit disappointed since this story didn't turn out as good as I wanted it to be, which is to be expected since I didn't do much planning. I just thought like 'Dark!TenthGen' and 'Tragic Backstories', took our laptop and then BAM! Uploaded :3 Then I was like... Now what? QAQ**

 **Thank you for your lovely reviews ~ Hopefully I managed to entertain ya'll and I hope you support the next story. Hopefully it's better than the last one :3**

 **TO ALL MY READERS IN GENERAL:**

 **I'm sorry if you were disappointed, but thank you for making it this far anyways :3 Thanks for reading this and I hope you read the other one too~ It's not a sequel, literally just a continuation because I was too lazy to rewrite all of this -_-**

 **Anyways, THANK YOU :D**


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